AIDS Web Sites for Consumers
AIDS (Acquired Immune Deficiency Syndrome)
is a retroviral disease caused by the Human Immunodeficiency Virus (HIV), which
attacks the immune system and "leaves the body vulnerable to a variety of
life-threatening illnesses and cancers." (MEDLINEplus Medical Encyclopedia).
Currently, it is the fourth leading cause of death in the world and about 40 million
people are infected with it, 600,000-800,000 in the United States.
In an effort to help consumers identify reliable web sites, the Health Sciences
and Human Services Library (HS/HSL) is releasing AIDS Web
Sites for Consumers. Information specialists from the Library compiled
the list. We encourage you to look over the list and annotations, and then use
the links to get to the sites.
Evaluating information found on the web is very important. The criteria used to
choose the following sites may also be of use to you when evaluating any web site.
However, you should consult with your physician regarding any information obtained
from the web.
Selection Criteria:
- Sponsorship. The sponsorship
of the site should be easily identified and be a credible source such as a
government agency (.gov), educational institution (.edu) or medical center
or hospital.
- Currency. The site should
be updated frequently with the date of the update clearly posted.
- Factual information. Information
should be factual and verifiable. If the information represents an opinion,
the source should be easily identified.
- Audience.
There should be a clear statement of the intended audience (consumer, medical
professional).
- Ease of Use. The site should
be easy to navigate and be logically organized.
If you have any comments or suggestions,
please send an email message to hshsl@umaryland.edu.
Health
Sciences and Human Services Library, University of Maryland
AIDS Resources on
the Web
(in alphabetical order)
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- ACTIS
(Aids Clinical Trials Information Service)
(http://www.actis.org/)
ACTIS is a central resource from the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services
for federally and privately funded HIV/AIDS clinical trials information. The
site contains information on finding clinical trials, vaccines, HIV/AIDS drugs,
international resources, and treatment. It also provides links to related
web sites and to other databases. The site is available in Spanish, and has
an 800 telephone number for confidential, personalized, bilingual service.
- Aids
Treatment Data Network
(http://www.atdn.org/)
The Network is a "national not-for-profit community-based organization
that provides information, counseling and case management services for men,
women and children with HIV. . ." The site includes fact sheets, monitoring
and access projects on medication assistance programs, a community feedback
section, treatment reviews, including alternative treatments, news on co-infection
with Hepatitis C, and a glossary of drug names and HIV/AIDS terms. There are
links to other information sources, and the site also has a Spanish language
version.
- Centers
for Disease Control's Divisions of HIV/AIDS Prevention
(http://www.cdc.gov/hiv/dhap.htm)
The Division's mission is to "prevent HIV infection and reduce the incidence
of HIV-related illness and death. . ." This site contains information
on current recommendations and guidelines for counseling, testing, prevention
and treatment; fact sheets and general information; FAQs, including information
on hoaxes and rumors; statistics and trends; vaccine and prevention research;
funding news; prevention tools; evaluation, software and training information.
- HIV/AIDS
Treatment Information Service
(http://www.hivatis.org/)
Provided by the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services and managed by
the National Library of Medicine, the site is the central resource for federally
approved treatment guidelines for HIV and AIDS. There is an 800-telephone
number and email address for confidential, personalized, and bilingual service.
The site and phone services are also available in Spanish.
- HIVInSite
(http://hivinsite.ucsf.edu/InSite)
From the University of California, San Francisco, the site contains the Knowledge
Base reference text for HIV care, prevention and policy, and information on
treatment, prevention and policy. There is a section on the worldwide HIV/AIDS
epidemic, links to new and noteworthy documents, and a daily news watch.
- Johns
Hopkins University AIDS Service
(http://www.hopkins-aids.edu/)
This site contains the full text of the Abbreviated Guide to Medical Management
of HIV Infection in PDF format. There are sections on epidemiology, prevention,
treatment guidelines, expert question and answers and news. Other features
include a literary corner with reviews of fiction and non-fiction books that
have HIV/AIDS themes, conference summaries and netcasts (these require the
RealPlayer plug-in).
- MEDLINEPlus, the consumer health information
database produced by the National Library of Medicine, National Institutes
of Health, has six web pages on AIDS:
These pages include: news sections,
links to NIH publications, links to clinical trials, alternative therapy,
disease management, prevention/screening, current research, specific conditions/aspects,
specific populations, and testing information. Information is also available
in Spanish.
- National
AIDS Treatment Advocacy Program
(http://www.natap.org/)
This is a non-profit agency for HIV/AIDS advocacy and education. The site
features an extensive news section, with an archive, conference reports, links
to upcoming conferences and publications.
- National
Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases, Division of Acquired Immunodeficiency
Syndrome (http://www.niaid.nih.gov/daids/)
This Division was founded in 1986 to address the national research needs created
by the HIV/AIDS epidemic. The site has information on resources for patients,
physicians and investigators, informational publications and news releases,
meeting and conference summaries, and information on vaccines, treatment and
preventions-general, funding opportunities and current research.
- National
Pediatric & Family HIV Resource Center
(http://www.niaid.nih.gov/daids/)
Created by the University of Medicine and Dentistry of New Jersey, the site
is primarily designed for health professionals and social workers, but does
have a question and answer section for families, and links to the national
network of Ryan White Care Providers.
- NOAH's
AIDS and HIV consumer information page
(http://www.noah-health.org/en/infectious/aids/ )
NOAH, New York Online Access to Health, a joint venture of the City University
of New York, The Metropolitan New York Library Council, the New York Academy
of Medicine, and the New York Public Library, provides this extensive AIDS
and HIV consumer information page. There is a general information section
that provides information on the basics, diagnosis, prevention, contracting
HIV and a glossary of terms. There is a care and treatment section that includes
information on caring for someone with AIDS, coping, medications, nutrition,
dental care and alternative treatments. The complications and related concerns
section includes links to information on legal issues, financial and insurance
issues, co-infections, and sex, age and race-specific issues. There is a research
section that includes clinical trials, and a section that includes news, advocacy
group links, book resources, hot lines, libraries and international resources.
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