The 10th Annual HIV Drug Guide (January/February 2006) incorrectly stated the amount of Emtriva in the fixed-dose combination of Truvada. Truvada consists of 300 mg Viread/tenofovir disoproxil fumarate and 200 mg Emtriva/FTC/emtricitabine.

Also, the names of all the pharmacists who updated the Drug Guide were inadvertently left out. The guide was updated by Andrew Halbur, BSPharm, Walgreens Specialty Pharmacy, Howard Brown Health Center, Chicago, and staff: Jill Dunmore, PharmD, Swarup Mehta, PharmD, and Joshua Titus, PharmD. Positively Aware apologizes for the oversights.

I very much enjoyed reading “Adverse Health Outcomes among Black Americans,” [Nov/Dec issue] by Dr. David Malebranche. It gave a well-researched and compelling argument as to why special attention needs to and should be given to the medical treatment and care that African Americans are receiving—not only by providers, but also by AIDS service organizations and the African American community itself.

Given how attentive and mindful Dr. Malebranche seems to be of the multiple ways that HIV-positive African Americans experience this disease, I was surprised to read his statement that, “God has a plan for all of us and we can’t control everything.” It is, in fact, not everyone’s experience to believe that God has a plan for all of us, and by including his own personal views in what is an otherwise objective and scientific article, I think that Dr. Malebranche unintentionally disenfranchised those readers who do not share that view with him.

Dr. Malebranche, thank you so much for the insight you have provided into this issue, but next time you are writing to an audience comprised of people who wish to learn more about HIV, not religion, please leave your personal beliefs out!

Name withheld by request, Boulder, CO, via the Internet

Dr. Malebranch responds: I definitely agree with you and probably overstepped a little bit in using the term God in this scientific review of the debate. I think I was focusing on an audience of predominantly African Americans to read the piece, and most of us believe in some form of higher power, be it called “God” or otherwise. But you’re absolutely right and I hope I didn’t ostracize anyone by mentioning that. I am grateful for your comments.

I read the article “Dating and Daring to Love Again” on your website. It was interesting, especially the parts about the HIV-positive dating sites. I was diagnosed in 2001. I decided then that I would date only other people with HIV. I discovered a few sites, most were disreputable and riddled with fake ads and phony postings, which is not exclusive to HIV-positive dating sites. The only legitimate sites are the ones run by the humanitarian or HIV organizations that ought to get federal funds for doing a public health service by encouraging those of us with HIV to date among ourselves, since anyone with any good sense knows just because someone has a diagnosis of HIV does not mean they become celibate! And if one believes the Trojan condom television ad and 40% of all HIV-infected persons do not disclose, then a viable web dating service would definitely be a health service.

POZ magazine, which is a very good and reputable organization, is in almost any HIV clinic or non-profit organization. They offer http://personals.poz.com, but they should also have a section in the print version of POZ with ads for people who do not have home computers or access to the Internet, along with information on how to use free computers at any public library, and free e-mail services. One other good site is www.positiveconnections.org, run by someone I truly thinks has humanitarian purposes, and is free with no gimmicks.

Name withheld by request, via the Internet