Abacavir (Ziagen) is one medication prescribed to treat HIV. In the vast majority of people, Abacavir is perfectly safe, but there is a small percentage of people who are at risk of having an allergic reaction to the drug. Until now, there was no way to identify those people at risk for a hypersensitivity reaction. Now there is. It's called the "HLA-B*5701" (HLA) test, a genetic test that looks at an individual's HLA type for the presence of the HLA-B*5701 allele.

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• Understanding Abacavir Hypersensitivity Reactions

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Though more adults suffer from HIV than children, there are families that must deal with the unique stresses, concerns, and questions of caring for an HIV positive child. Naturally, you as parents worry about the health and well-being of your child. And make no mistake -- as your child gets older, he or she will have concerns, too. Arming yourself with information can help you better understand your child's illness and answer questions when they arise.

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Any adult who has been prescribed HIV medications knows just how difficult adhering to those drugs can be. Between the number of pills, nausea, diarrhea, and the long-term side effects, HIV medication adherence can be tough. So it's no surprise when I hear what a hard time parents have getting their child to take their medications. Luckily, there are ways to help your kids take their HIV medications each and everyday.

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Noted HIV positive AIDS skeptic Christine Maggiore died peacefully December 27, 2008 after a long battle with pneumonia. She was best known for her efforts to to re-examine conventional HIV and AIDS theory. Specifically, she felt HIV was not the cause of AIDS and that HIV was actually a harmless virus. Ironically, her HIV positive daughter Eliza died three years ago of what the LA County Coroner deemed to be PCP; Pneumocystis pneumonia. Her beliefs were so strong that Maggiore filed a lawsuit against the LA County Coroner for claiming Eliza died of PCP. While many felt her beliefs were way off track, she did stimulate healthy debate over the cause and affect between HIV and AIDS. She also was the founder of Alive & Well AIDS Alternatives, a non-profit organization that challenged "common assumptions" about AIDS. She also published a book called "What if Everything You Thought You Knew About AIDS Was Wrong?" that explained her beliefs in detail. While many experts wonder if her death will weaken the HIV denialist movement, members of the movement assured them that Maggiore's would not spell the end of the denialist movement.

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• What is an HIV Denialist?

• The HIV - AIDS Connection

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