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People with HIV are now allowed to donate kidneys and livers to recipients who are also HIV-positive, health officials announced Tuesday.
The new rules are part of the HIV Organ Policy Equity Act (HOPE) Act, which aims to shorten wait times for transplants, the Associated Press reported. It came into effect on Wednesday, November 27th.
“This rule removes unnecessary barriers to kidney and liver transplants, expands the pool of organ donors, and increases the number of patients infected with HIV and “This will improve outcomes for transplant patients.”
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Prior to this change, HIV-positive organs were only allowed as part of research studies, but the government began allowing them in 2013.
People with HIV are now allowed to donate kidneys and livers to recipients who are also HIV-positive, health officials announced Tuesday. (St. Petersburg)
The decision followed a recent study published in the New England Journal of Medicine. The study found that patients who received organs from HIV-positive donors had “similarly high overall survival rates and lower rates of organ rejection” over four years, the Associated Press reported.
A total of 500 kidney and liver transplants from HIV-positive donors have been performed in the United States as part of research studies.
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“Studies show that kidney and liver transplants between donors and HIV-infected recipients can be performed safely and effectively,” Rachel L. Levin, MD, assistant secretary for health, added in the HHS announcement. .
“Research shows that kidney and liver transplants between donors and HIV-infected recipients can be performed safely and effectively.”
“This policy change reflects our commitment to track the evidence and update our approach as we learn more. By removing research requirements that are no longer needed, we are We can help people access life-saving transplants.”
“At a time when the demand is so great, the supply increases,” said Dr. Mark Siegel, a senior medical analyst for Fox News. Dr. Siegel works at NYU Langone Health, which performed 576 organ transplants in 2023. (Noam Galai/Getty Images)
Dr. Mark Siegel, a senior medical analyst for Fox News, works at NYU Langone Health, which performed 576 organ transplants in 2023.
“I don’t have a problem with HIV organs being used because we have people here dying on the waiting list,” Siegel told Fox News Digital. “Supply increases when demand is very high.”
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“HIV is now a chronic disease and what matters is the viral load, and it is possible to get that viral load to zero,” he continued.
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“It makes perfect sense to donate an HIV-positive organ to an HIV-positive recipient. There’s no additional risk there.”
According to the Organ Procurement and Transplant Network, the wait time for a liver transplant can be up to five years. (St. Petersburg)
According to the American Kidney Foundation, most Americans on the national kidney transplant waiting list will wait three to five years.
According to the Organ Procurement and Transplant Network, the wait time for a liver transplant can be up to five years.
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The National Institutes of Health (NIH) is also seeking public comment on taking steps to allow heart, lung, and pancreas transplants from HIV-positive donors, the HHS report said.
Melissa Rudy is a senior health editor and a member of the Lifestyle team at Fox News Digital. Story tips can be sent to melissa.rudy@fox.com.