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A STOCHASTIC MODEL INCORPORATING HIV TREATMENTS FOR A HETEROSEXUAL POPULATION: IMPACT ON THRESHOLD CONDITIONS
Book chapter

A STOCHASTIC MODEL INCORPORATING HIV TREATMENTS FOR A HETEROSEXUAL POPULATION: IMPACT ON THRESHOLD CONDITIONS

Robert J. Gallop, Charles J. Mode and Candace K. Sleeman
Biomathematics: Modelling and Simulation, pp 59-83
01 Jan 2006

Abstract

Life Sciences & Biomedicine Mathematical & Computational Biology Science & Technology
During recent years the medical community has been aggressively searching for a cure of the HIV disease, but so far a cure has not been found. Consequently, the goal of HIV/AIDS treatments has been to impact the health of infected individual and to extend their life-expectancy with the hope that in time the medical community may find a cure. Much success has been reported in improving the life-span of infected individuals. How this increased life-span for infected individuals effects the overall impact of the spread of the disease remains unknown. Thus, while success of HIV treatments, such as the HAART therapy, is beneficial in the infected population, consequences must be considered for the susceptible audience. The investigation described in this article will focus on the heterosexual population; therefore, a thorough investigation must consider the multiple facets present in the heterosexual population. A stochastic model for the heterosexual population with sufficient parameters to model the multiple facets impacting the spread of the disease in this audience is considered. Proximity to threshold conditions specify when the disease will spread if a small number of infected people are introduced into a susceptible population. Determination of distance to the threshold condition for a population participating in HIV treatments and a population without HIV treatments is investigated. Simulations suggest that from the perspective of only successful implementation of HIV treatments to this audience, a more rapid spread of the disease throughout the susceptible sector occurs. The merits of HIV treatments is not in question but, in this era of more advances in HIV treatments, HIV treatments must be coupled with attention to general awareness and further education and prevention efforts, for proper control of the epidemics spread.

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Mathematical & Computational Biology
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