Why We've Only Cured HIV Seven Times

As of 2024, exactly seven people have been cured of HIV, most recently the "next Berlin patient." Why aren't we sharing this cure with everyone living with HIV? It's complicated.

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[mal]

I hope to one day come back to this video and comment about how HIV has been entirely eradicated

[controlfreak]

As a recent stem cell transplant survivor, it is an incredibly brutal ordeal with up to 20% not surviving the first year. GVHD (graft versus host disease) is the next horror to endure that lasts years or ends up taking you out. I'm 2 1/2 years into chronic GVHD and it's been pretty bad. It did cure my chronic leukemia of 20 years and there were no options left.

[dressiknights]

4 people cured since 2023. That's quite the movement. Progress!

[positivelyisabella]

I was born HIV positive in 91, I try my best to keep up to date on what’s going on in science around HIV. I genuinely believe there will be a cure in my life time. Thank you for shedding light on this topic

[HonestLeigh]

I work for a non-profit that provides low- to no-cost healthcare for people with HIV. Watching the number of people cured climb over the last few years brings me such hope, along with the record number of people living with HIV to achieve viral suppression in the US last year. It reminds me that our goal of Ending the Epidemic is not impossible, and it gets closer every day.

[ethanvance]

My wife is an infectious diseases doctor with a research focus on HIV. She has met three of these seven people. It's an amazing field!

[fabrisseterbrugghe]

I had a transfusion in a country where the blood supply was, I later found out, contaminated by HIV. The sheer terror I felt when I got tested for HIV has stayed with me for decades. I was lucky, and I know it.

[trishapellis]

Imagine going into your blood cancer treatment and once you're done, doctors tell you "Oh look. It cured your HIV too. We didn't even know that was possible."

[AlvarM]

As someone living with HIV I clocked on this faster than any other video ever ❤

[BougGroug]

Waiting for a day where I can come back to this video and find a comment saying "the number is over a million now!"

[MarkTolmanMA]

My life was greatly improved by the introduction of PrEP. It really reduced my fear of infection.

[mortenjohansen]

Just imagine a vaccine against HIV. I was born in the sixties so I've seen and known people who died of AID's, such a waste.

[itchy]

I remember when this number was 1! This is amazing progress :0

[Kaznerh]

It's amazing to see all the progress that we've made against HIV. What was once a death sentence is now a condition that, when treated, does not impact one's quality of life and is not even transmissible. We've already overcome a lot of the dangers, and we're so close to just eliminating it once and for all.

[zappababe]

The stigma against people with HIV and AIDS in the 80s was absolutely dreadful. Princess Diana did an awful lot to tackle that stigma when she shook the hand of a man who had AIDS. She did a really good thing right there.

[aniuncensored]

So many of the comments are utterly disappointing. It's a phenomenal break through to be at 7 patients cured fully in 2024, for those of us who grew up watching our heroes and peer groups die of HIV/AIDS in the 80's and 90's and right into the early 00's being a queer kid growing up and watching the ones who were 5-15 years older die or be battle hardened from holding their friends and lovers close in death is something that's been quickly forgotten by those left behind. We're spoiled by the wonder and changes in society, between prep and post exposure prophylaxis all the way to effective treatments that can take people from full blown AIDS to undetectable in a matter of months. I am supremely grateful that my own children are growing up in a better world. However, nothing would make me happier than to hear a reliable cure had been found along with a successful vaccine. HIV has been a dark chapter that had brought out some of the true monsters in humanity. We could put an end to it and move on. ❤

[makefutur]

Imagine getting cured of cancer and HIV in one lucky shot. Those people most feel incredible

[neovoid]

7 minutes into the future here. We are at 7 people cured

[jfitzpatrick]

A complex topic very clearly explained in lay terms! Thank you for that!

[christopherg]

9:25 CRISPR is like the "Find and Replace" tool in text editors.
You are better _very_ certain you get the Find part right!