Smoking is More Likely to Kill a Person Living with HIV than to Die of an AIDS-Related Illness
NBC news recently reported that smoking is more likely to kill a person living with HIV, than complications associated with HIV, when the person with HIV is taking “cocktail” of HIV medication.
Like many people experiencing discrimination and isolation, people living with HIV smoke much higher rates than the general population.
“A person with HIV who consistently takes HIV medicines but smokes is much more likely to die of a smoking-related disease than of HIV itself.”
~Dr. Krishna Reddy, Massachusetts General Hospital and Harvard Medical School
The good news is that HIV drugs have become so effective that people living with HIV, can lead longer and healthier lives.
The bad news is that smoking causes DNA mutations throughout the body, and causes an assortment of cancers and heart disease.
The article mentions that the US adult population smokes less than they used to. However, LGBTQ people smoking rates continue to climb, especially LGBTQ youth.
If you are thinking about quitting smoking, check out our resource page for support, and free NRT products.
