www.timesonline.co.uk/art...40,00.html
Quote:
Doctors baffled as HIV man cures himself
Sophie KirkhamA MAN who tested positive for HIV, the virus that causes AIDS, has subsequently shown up negative for the disease in a case that has mystified doctors.
It was claimed last night that Andrew Stimpson, 25, may have shaken off the virus with his own immune system after contracting HIV in 2002.
If proved, the NHS has said the case would be medically remarkable. It could provide vital information to researchers looking into treatments for HIV and Aids, which has killed about 3,800 people in Britain since the 1980s.
The worldwide annual death toll is more than 3m.
The Chelsea and Westminster Healthcare NHS trust, which treated Stimpson, has said he needs to undergo more tests before it can be established how he apparently conquered HIV.
These tests were accurate and they were his, but what we dont know at the moment is why that has happened, and we want him to come back in for more tests, said a spokeswoman. It is potentially a fantastic thing.
Stimpson was tested three times in August 2002 at the Victoria clinic for sexual health in central London and the results showed he was producing HIV antibodies to fight the disease.
Stimpson, originally from Largs in Ayrshire, contracted the virus from his boyfriend, Juan Gomez, 44. He began taking vitamins and other dietary supplements to keep his body healthy in the hopes that this might fend off the development of full-blown Aids.
In October 2003, after impressing doctors with his good health, Stimpson was offered a new test, which came back negative. Further tests in December 2003 and March last year also proved negative.
It was the last thing I expected. I was astonished. I was baffled too, he told the News of the World. I couldnt understand how anyone could cure themselves of HIV . . . I thought it had to be wrong because no one can recover from HIV, it just doesnt happen.
The tests were re-checked by the Chelsea and Westminster Healthcare NHS Trust when Stimpson threatened litigation believing there must be a mistake, but the results confirmed all the tests had been accurate.
In a letter understood to be from the NHS Litigation Authority in October this year, Stimpson was told: The fact you have recovered from a positive antibody result to a negative result is exceptional and medically remarkable.
The trust said there had been several other cases of claimed spontaneous clearance of the virus worldwide, although it is not believed any have been proved. A spokeswoman added that the trust had urged Stimpson to return for tests, but that so far he had not done so.
I can understand a person not wanting to be turned into a guinea pig and all that, but wouldn't that just seem like the civil thing to do in a case like that?
Or has doing something that may possibly help other people in similar situations become just that passe in today's society? 
It could be a latent infection, an antibody test can miss those. Definately he needs more tests.
Jimro
I really hope he lets them test him and work out what caused this. I mean he's Neo dodged a huge bullet and has the power to help millions of people with one of the most troublesome conditions on our planet.
Truly fantastic and inspiring news.
Is this article really based off two tests?
Quote:
I can understand a person not wanting to be turned into a guinea pig and all that, but wouldn't that just seem like the civil thing to do in a case like that?
Or has doing something that may possibly help other people in similar situations become just that passe in today's society?
Dubs, The Straits Times, Singapore's local newspaper, reported that yesterday. In the article, at the end, the fellow said that he'd do ANYTHING he could to help people with the disease. So, don't worry about that. 
i dont believe it
*slap Boobonic*
And I wanna hear about this in the news at my house before I'll think this is really a big breakthru.
Man With HIV Claims To Have Cured Himself
Fixed.
Well, I say we wait and see what happens on this. On one hand, maybe he did, and maybe he didn't.
No matter how it plays out, though, it will be interesting. o.o
See this is why they never report good news. People always doubt it. Report a potential cure for aids and people go, "HAX!" "Sploitz!". But report a guy impaling himself on a stale twinkie and everyones all "Ah cool!". 
~Rico
The news of people being immune to HIV isn't new news to me but this is the first time heard of someone being infected and actually fought it off. I have watched some documentaries that talked about how some African prostitutes maybe immune and also some people descent of black plague survivors being immune as well.
This is something. A man who contratced HIV and is completely cure, If only he'd let the doctors probe him and do other alien-ish manners, we could be on a much better case of shoving the cure of HIVS and such and such.
~Neo
"Is this article really based off two tests?"
No, six:
"Stimpson was tested three times in August 2002 at the Victoria clinic for sexual health in central London and the results showed he was producing HIV antibodies to fight the disease [i.e. he has the HIV virus]. ... In October 2003, after impressing doctors with his good health, Stimpson was offered a new test [#4], which came back negative. Further tests in December 2003 [#5] and March last year [#6] also proved negative."
Now, I'm not saying that's enough to categorically confirm that he has magical AIDS-fighting powers, but then nor is the article. All the article is saying is that he was HIV positive but now, apparently, he isn't and so doctors and scientists want to do more tests to find out why this is and if they can use this information to help prevent or cure AIDS.
"In the article, at the end, the fellow said that he'd do ANYTHING he could to help people with the disease."
I saw that quote as well, either in a British paper or on BBC News' website. All I can say is if he wants to make good on his words then he'd go in for more tests. After all, there're tremendous potential (note I say potential - i.e. not definite) benefits for humanity depending on how exactly he managed to apparently overcome the disease.
For some reason, when I read that this guy cured himself of HIV, I thought he had actually made a helluva drug in his basement or something that cured him, but now that I hear his disease mysteriously disappeared I think he might just be a lucky son of a gun and nothing more, but I still hope they found something out.
