A feature story in the June 16 issue of New York Magazine,
“Who Still Dies of AIDS, and Why,” probes why people living with HIV in the age of highly active antiretroviral therapy (HAART) continue to die of AIDS-related illness (nymag.com, 6/8).

According to the article, AIDS-related deaths are more frequent today among the many who, often not believing they are at risk, carry the virus for years without getting tested and therefore without knowing their status. By the time they eventually do get tested, they have already progressed to AIDS. What’s more, the story notes, many doctors have failed to address other critical health concerns among their HIV positive patients—believing that they wouldn’t live very long anyway.

The story also cites med side effects and elevated health risks to those trying to cope with the stress of living with the virus: The rate of cigarette smoking among HIV-positive people, for instance, is twice the national average.