Morning Briefing
Summaries of health policy coverage from major news organizations
First Liver Transplant From An HIV Donor Succeeds; Leaving This Kind Of Legacy 'Was Quite Important'
The Associated Press: US Begins Organ Transplants From Living Donors Who Have HIV
Surgeons in Baltimore have performed what's thought to be the world's first kidney transplant from a living donor with HIV, a milestone for people with the AIDS virus — and one that could free up space on the transplant waiting list for everyone. Nina Martinez of Atlanta traveled to Johns Hopkins University to donate a kidney to an HIV-positive stranger, saying she "wanted to make a difference in somebody else's life" and counter the stigma that too often still surrounds HIV infection. (3/28)
The Washington Post: First Living HIV-Positive Donor Provides Kidney For Transplant In Medical Breakthrough
“Society perceives me, and people like me, as people who bring death,” Martinez said in an interview Saturday before the operation. “And I can’t figure out any better way to show that people like me can bring life. ”Martinez, who acquired HIV from a blood transfusion as an infant, appeared at a Hopkins news conference Thursday to announce the surgery, the first of its kind. She said she feels well and is looking forward to training to run in this October’s Marine Corps Marathon in Washington. (Bernstein, 3/28)
Kaiser Health News: World’s First HIV-To-HIV Kidney Transplant With Living Donor Succeeds
The world’s first kidney transplant from a living HIV-positive donor to another HIV-positive person was successfully performed Monday by doctors at a Johns Hopkins University hospital. By not having to rely solely on organs from the deceased, doctors may now have a larger number of kidneys available for transplant. Access to HIV-positive organs became possible in 2013, and surgeries have been limited to kidneys and livers. (Knight and Heredia Rodriguez, 3/28)
