AIDS PERIL SPREADS

Drug-resistant strains of AIDS are spreading faster than researchers had
thought possible even a couple of years ago. A majority of AIDS patients
now have a strain resistant to at least one AIDS drug. And that percentage
is increasing. These strains, of course, are being spread via unprotected
sex and sharing of needles.

What to do? Well, obviously the federal government and biotech companies
should speed new AIDS tests and drugs to market. But the main hope is still
prevention discouraging unprotected sex and implementing needle-exchange
programs. The latter has reduced the spread of the disease apparently
without increasing drug abuse. In our region, New Bedford, in particular,
could use such a program.

For several years, new AIDS drug "cocktails" have spawned the belief that
AIDS is curable. The rapid rise of the new strains puts the lie to that.
Let's deal with this harsher reality.