While these policies were not made on the basis of scientific data, people with HIV have been left with its legacy and barred from accessing a potentially life-saving procedure. Currently, people with HIV are allowed on waiting lists for organ transplants. However, third-party payers won't cover their cost and many transplant centers refuse to perform the operations. Advances in anti-HIV therapy increases HIV specialists' and transplant surgeons' confidence to control HIV and lessen risks of disease progression when performing transplants or using immune suppressive therapy. The ongoing UCSF study and planned larger NIH study will provide insight as to whether these transplants will provide more overall benefit or harm.
Current projects are limited to liver and kidney transplants.
More activist pressure is needed to expand the range of organs being evaluated for transplantation. Physicians or patients should let the receptionist know they are inquiring about Dr. Stock's HIV transplant study.