Study Aims to Prevent Smoking Among HIV Patients

Researchers have now decided to focus their attention on finding ways to kick the smoking habit amongst people suffering from HIV/AIDS.

A research by Saint Louis University School of Public Health found that of the 1.1 million Americans living with HIV/AIDS, between 40 and 60 percent are smokers - which is two to three times the rate of smokers in the general population.

Quiz on Smoking
Approximately half the smokers die due to smoking -related diseases. But it is not just the smokers who are at the receiving end. The passive smokers too, often pay a heavy price. If you still have not 'kicked the butt’, learn more horrifying facts about smoking by participating in the following quiz.

Jenine K. Harris, Ph.D., study author and associate professor of community health at Saint Louis University School of Public Health saw that only 2 per cent of 272 published articles examined the effectiveness of interventions aimed at preventing or reducing smoking among those living with HIV/AIDS.

"The accumulation of nearly two decades of discovery research leaves little doubt that smoking is a widespread problem and a major modifiable risk factor for disease and death in people living with HIV/AIDS.

"The delay between discovery of smoking related health outcomes in people living with HIV/AIDS and the delivery of interventions to reduce smoking among this population has serious consequences," Harris said.

Smoking Risk Calculator
Do you smoke cigarettes daily? Use medindia smoking risk calculator and calculate your reduced Life Span due to Smoking.

To speed the process of finding solutions, she suggested researchers and clinicians in the HIV/AIDS field collaborate with experts in tobacco cessation who understand how targeted population-based programs work.he ultimate goal is to look at the evidence of what works to come up with effective programs that curb smoking among those who have HIV/AIDS.

The research was published online ahead of print on May 13 in the American Journal of Public Health.

HIV/AIDS Risk Calculator
The HIV risk quiz helps you determine risk factors for HIV.

Source-ANI

Quiz on HIV / AIDS
Statistics tell us that the world HIV+ population has risen drastically from 8 million in 1990 to a whopping 33 million in 2007! Even more alarming is the fact that young people (below the age of 25) account for half of these infections! This is adequate proof for the lack of awareness among the general public even in these modern times. So take our quiz and brush up on the essential facts of HIV/AIDS.

There are 10 questions on HIV / AIDS in this quiz that will explore the depth of your knowledge and provide answers to the following:

Immune control of HIV ()
Symptoms of HIV/AIDS ()
Cure for AIDS ()
Acute HIV syndrome ()
World AIDS day ()
Western blot ()