
Treatment GuideJust DiagnosedSex & DatingAfrican AmericanStigmaAsk the HIV DocPrEP En EspañolNewsVoicesPrint IssueVideoOut 100
CONTACTCAREER OPPORTUNITIESADVERTISE WITH USPRIVACY POLICYPRIVACY PREFERENCESTERMS OF USELEGAL NOTICE
© 2025 Pride Publishing Inc.
All Rights reserved
All Rights reserved
By continuing to use our site, you agree to our Privacy Policy and Terms of Use.
Not My Cup of Tea
I read the piece on the new technique for facial wasting treatment at New York's Montefiore Medical Center ['Hospital Announces a New Surgery to Aid Facial Wasting,' PlusNews, August]. While any treatment advances are welcome, I find the whole idea of transplanting a graft from the abdomen to the face of patients extreme and unnecessary when other effective techniques exist'if only they were FDA-approved.
Two years ago I had treatment with injections of the synthetic filler product Bio-Alcamid (from Polymekon of Italy) at Clinic Estetica in Tijuana, Mexico, by an American woman, Anna Love. She has pioneered the use of this product for Americans based on success with it in Europe. Bio-Alcamid is safer than silicone, sterile, easy to use, and permanent, but it is not yet FDA-approved. This series of injections did not require invasive surgery such as the Montefiore technique and required extremely little 'downtime,' yet the results have lasted more than two years with only minor touch-ups required.
This product is used all over Europe and South America with great success. I have now had treatment with it not only for my facial wasting but also for buttock wasting'also with great success. When, oh when, is the United States going to wake up and approve this product for use in this country to save patients from facing the stress of dangerous products (silicone), invasive surgery (Montefiore), or treatments that do not last (fat grafting, New-Fill, etc.)? There is, believe me, a better way!
Ken Howard, LCSW
Los Angeles
[The editors reply: We, of course, cannot endorse the use of any non'FDA-approved treatment. Individuals must realize that the FDA approval process is meant to save lives by helping people avoid possibly unsafe products. For a more detailed overview of Bio-Alcamid and the FDA process, be sure to read the Outlook column in our next issue, in which Derek Jones, MD, a board-certified dermatologist and clinical assistant professor of dermatology at the University of California, Los Angeles, will address these issues.]
Livin' Out Loud
I was diagnosed HIV-positive in 1995, and I thought I knew a lot about myself when it came to living with HIV, but your July story on mental health issues opened my eyes ['Is Every Day a Rainy Day?']. A case worker who knew that I had been having stress issues suggested that I read the article.
After a talk with my doctor about how I was feeling, we both decided that it would be a good idea for me to seek out an HIV support group, since I wanted to see if I could make things better without taking extra meds for now. I've been to three weekly meetings so far, and I already feel like some of the weight of the world is lifting off of my shoulders.
I hope that others out there read your article and gained the valuable insight that I did. We may not think about our HIV daily, but it's always with us having its effects.
Dawna Josephs
Houston
Gotta Stick Together
To the reader who admires Brandon's Poz Parties so much, let me remind him that the people who hold those parties discriminate against their own by age [PlusLetters, July]. No one over 45 is allowed in the door. As if we haven't been discriminated against enough by the outside world, now our own are doing it.
Name Withheld by Request
via the Internet
We welcome letters to the editor. Mail them to Letters to the Editor, HIV Plus, 6922 Hollywood Blvd., Suite 1000, Los Angeles, CA 90028-6148; fax them to (323) 467-0173, or E-mail them to letters@hivplusmag.com.
From our Sponsors
Most Popular
Lexi Love comes out as HIV+ after Trump deletes federal resources
January 23 2025 11:23 AM
Grindr is reminding us why jockstraps are so sexy and iconic
May 02 2025 5:36 PM
BREAKING NEWS: Trump admin moves to end federal HIV prevention programs
March 18 2025 6:10 PM
Trump's orders prompt CDC to erase HIV resources
January 31 2025 5:29 PM
Celebrating Black History Month with our annual African American issue
February 01 2025 3:28 PM
Tyler TerMeer vows to continue to fight for health care for all
January 28 2025 3:00 PM
Discover the power of Wellness in your life
March 26 2025 12:41 PM
Plus: Featured Video
Latest Stories
Dancer. Healer. Survivor. DéShaun Armbrister is all of the above
July 02 2025 8:23 PM
BREAKING: Supreme Court rules to save free access to preventive care, including PrEP
June 27 2025 10:32 AM
1985: the year the AIDS crisis finally broke through the silence
June 26 2025 11:24 AM
VIDEO: A man living with HIV discusses his journey to fatherhood
June 10 2025 4:58 PM
Trump admin guts $258 million in funding for HIV vaccine research
June 03 2025 3:47 PM
HRC holds 'die-in' to protest Trump health care cuts
April 28 2025 2:11 PM
Two right-wing Supreme Court justices signal they may uphold access to PrEP and more
April 21 2025 4:10 PM
500,000 Children at Risk: PEPFAR Funding Crisis
April 08 2025 3:51 PM
Broadway's best raise over $1 million for LGBTQ+ and HIV causes
April 03 2025 7:15 PM
The Talk Season 5 premieres this spring with HIV guidance for the newly diagnosed
March 26 2025 1:00 PM
Season 4 of The Switch on resilience & radical self-love returns this spring
March 26 2025 12:20 PM
Jess King is here to help you live your happiest, healthiest life yet
March 24 2025 4:35 PM
Gerald Garth is keeping people of color happy and healthy through trying times
March 11 2025 3:38 PM
Plus nominated for 2025 GLAAD Media Award
January 22 2025 12:42 PM
A camp for HIV-positive kids is for sale. Here's why its founder is celebrating
January 02 2025 12:21 PM
This long-term HIV survivor says testosterone therapy helped save his life.
December 16 2024 8:00 PM
'RuPaul's Drag Race' star Trinity K Bonet quietly comes out trans
December 15 2024 6:27 PM
Ricky Martin delivers showstopping performance for 2024 World AIDS Day
December 05 2024 12:08 PM
AIDS Memorial Quilt displayed at White House for the first time
December 02 2024 1:21 PM