AIDS THERAPY: Foundation Grants $33K for Regimen Adherence

      The Irvine Health Foundation has donated $33,000 to Orange County's AIDS Services Foundation to help fund a program encouraging HIV-positive people stick to their complex drug regimens. The ASF's Strategies to Maximize Antiretroviral Therapy (SMART) program will offer small classes and individual counseling in English and Spanish to promote more consistent adherence to treatment through improved doctor-patient relationships. The ASF reports that there are more than 2,000 HIV-positive people in Orange County, but no public funds to educate people with HIV about their treatment options. Lack of adherence to anti-AIDS drugs can result in viral resistance and treatment failures that endanger the individual and the public health, according to ASF, which will provide the SMART services free of charge to Orange County residents infected with the virus who are considering or taking anti-AIDS medication. "With additional help from the Irvine Health Foundation, we are confident we can create a well-tested and significant resource for HIV-treating physicians and their patients in Orange County," said ASF Executive Director Priscilla Munro (release, 2/25).