Care for HIV & AIDS at University of Colorado Hospital
Why Choose Treatment for HIV & AIDS at University of Colorado Hospital?
The Infectious Disease Group Practice and its HIV/AIDS Clinical Program at University of Colorado Hospital is nationally recognized. We care for more than 1,300 patients with HIV and also provide collaborative care for many patients at partnering clinics in Durango, Grand Junction and Pueblo. Our program has had excellent clinical outcomes since 1995.
Our patients have an AIDS-related mortality rate of less than 1 percent per year. Our doctors are board-certified in infectious diseases and also conduct groundbreaking HIV clinical research. We offer patients access to the latest medications. The care team is multidisciplinary, and provides all levels of care, including:
- Medical care by HIV experts
- Specialty care, including oncology, endocrinology, and GYN care
- Mental health care
- Nursing and medical case management
- A specialized infectious disease pharmacy
What is HIV? What is AIDS?
Doctors first recognized the Acquired Human Deficiency Syndrome (AIDS) in 1981. They then identified the Human Immunodeficiency Virus (HIV) as the cause. HIV targets the immune system, making it difficult for the body to fight infections.
Approximately 40,000 people become infected with HIV each year. The Centers for Disease Control estimates that 1 million people in the United States are living with HIV or AIDS. The prognosis for people with HIV infection greatly improved in 1996. This resulted from the development of strong new medications that directly target the virus.
Three or more antiretroviral medications are typically used to fight the infection and prevent the immune system from weakening. As a result HIV infection has moved from an often lethal illness, to one that can be successfully stabilized for many years. This can potentially allow a normal life span.
HIV and AIDS Research
Doctors in the Infectious Disease Group Practice at University of Colorado Hospital are involved in research with The Colorado AIDS Clinical Trials Unit (ACTU). The ACTU conducts a wide range of clinical trials. It offers experimental treatments with antiretrovirals (drugs that slow down the growth of HIV) and immune therapy for adults at all stages of HIV disease.
Studies of therapies for opportunistic infections are also available. The Colorado ACTU is one of the 30 ACTU’s that comprise the national AIDS Clinical Trials Group (ACTG). They are funded by the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases (NAIDS), a part of the National Institutes of Health (NIH).
HIV & AIDS Research Trials
You can review currently available studies at the Colorado ACTU website.