About AIDS

Got medications you don't need? Don't throw them away! They could make the difference between life and death for HIV-infected people in poorer countries.

Access to medications is one of the biggest problems facing HIVers in less-developed nations. Fortunately, several organizations will take unneeded pills and ship them to doctors and patients in places where treatment needs would otherwise go unmet.

The anti-HIV medications themselves are the most obviously needed, especially the newer drugs (e.g., Viread, Sustiva, Emtriva, etc.), although the older compounds are also widely used (e.g., AZT or Combivir, Crixivan, etc.).

Nor does the need stop there. Any prescription taken by a poz person is likely to be useful, even if it is not specifically to combat HIV, as the same problems plague AIDS patients regardless of geography. Antibiotics, pain meds, appetite boosters, and heart medications are commonly needed, too.

The key restriction is the expiration date: expired meds are not accepted. Patient names are removed, if still present, before shipping.

ASA sends collected medications to two organizations which seem particularly well run: International AIDS Empowerment in El Paso (contact [email protected]) and Aid for AIDS in NYC (contact [email protected]). Both ship to Latin America and the Caribbean. (We feel these areas receive less attention than Africa. A complete list of organizations can be found at www.thebody.com.) Or, medications can be brought to ASA, 7215 Cameron, attn: Sandy Bartlett. ASA has shipping-paid arrangements with both groups.

Over time, HIV disease will almost always produce surplus pills, whether because the patient changed regimens or got extra doses; or sometimes the PWA has died. Don't just let those medications go to waste – let's put them to good use!