However, information published or provided by ARIC, Inc. is not to be considered medical advice of any kind! ARIC, Inc. is strictly and only a provider of basic factual information on the medical treatment of HIV infection and related medical research. We are not, and do not claim to be, medical authority of any kind!

The state of general medical knowledge of this viral infection changes rapidly! While we make every reasonbable effort to provide medically accurate information, and to have that information independently reviewed for medical accuracy by qualified physicians experienced in the treatment of HIV infection before it is released, the possibility still exists that our information may be outdated! What may be “good” and timely information when we go to press (or upload to our Websites) can become outdated within a very short period of time. We therefore caution all readers to ALWAYS CHECK WITH YOUR DOCTOR(S) FOR CONFIRMATION AND GUIDANCE before attempting to utilize in any way any medical information found on any of our AIDS medical information websites or within any document posted to any of these websites, and within any public or private communication sent by volunteer staff of ARIC by any means, including telephone, FAX, mail, or E-mail, that are made as part of our AIDS Medical Information Services (AMIS) Hotline service.

As a matter of fact, the same holds true for AIDS medical information gathered from any other source as well: it’s just a good idea, regardless of where the information comes from, to bring it to your doctor(s) and have them confirm it. If your doctor(s) are aware of the information they will be able to confirm if the information is correct. And if they are not aware of the information, then there is certainly nothing to lose (and possibly much to be gained) by making them aware of it.

Responsibility for the PROPER use of the information provided by ARIC and/or its volunteer staff rests entirely and solely with the individual user. Neither ARIC, Inc., nor any of its staff or Board of Directors, nor any person whose work appears in any ARIC publication in any medium, may be held liable for damages of any kind resulting from the inappropriate use/misuse of this information. Such “inappropriate use/misuse” is hereby defined as:

“…any use or action of a medical nature that is NOT undertaken in cooperation with, upon the expressed advice or agreement of, and/or under the direct supervision of, an appropriately trained, fully qualified and legally licensed (US) medical practitioner.”

What that means, in English, is this: You cannot hold us liable for injuries you receive as a result of using the information we provide. We require that you bring what you learn at ARIC to your doctor(s). We encourage you, as a patient, to discuss new ideas with, and ask questions of, your doctor(s). When you do that, you become a partner in your medical care with your doctor, and your treatment (and any injury resulting from it) then becomes the doctor’s sole responsibility, as it certainly should be. If you do NOT do that, then you are MISUSING the information we provide, and WE ARE NOT RESPONSIBLE FOR SUCH MISUSE.

In all medical matters, we STRONGLY urge readers to always consult a qualified, licensed medical doctor of your choice, and to follow that doctor’s advice closely. Ideally, you should choose a physician with extensive experience in the treatment of HIV infection and AIDS, and should look upon this person as your friend and ally in the implementation of all medical treatment. A good doctor-patient relationship is essential to successful medical care, especially in a disease like AIDS*.

If, for any reason, your doctor does not agree with the information obtained from ARIC, you should ALWAYS follow your doctor’s advice instead. NEVER attempt to medicate yourself under ANY circumstances. ALWAYS consult a qualified medical doctor on proper medical care for any condition, especially one as complex and changeable as HIV infection. If, for some reason, you do not agree with advice given to you by your doctor, you should by all means seek another opinion from a new and different physician. But you should NEVER attempt to medicate yourself without the guidance and advice of an experienced and qualified physician ! ! !

ITEM II. In addition, it should be remembered that articles about AIDS medical treatments (or any aspect of medical care) appearing in this or any other ARIC publication do not imply endorsement of any medication, therapy, health care provider, or medical theory. By nature, a medical information service such as ARIC must remain neutral as far as personal preferences for one treatment over another are concerned. That neutrality extends to all writers whose articles appear in our publications. This does not mean that ARIC staff members do not have opinions on AIDS medical treatment matters. It simply means that as we publicly present information on AIDS medical care, we always give an even-handed and unbiased account of any and all AIDS medical treatments. ARIC volunteers always strive to fulfill this mandate to the best of their abilities in all public communications.

ITEM III. Finally, comments and/or opinions stated in any and all articles published by ARIC are solely those of their authors, and do not represent ARIC policy or opinions held by ARIC’s Board of Directors. When and where comments or personal opinions appear in ARIC publications, they are always identified as such and are clearly delineated from the body of factual information presented therein. In the few cases where articles appear to be unsigned, the reader may generally assume that the author is an ARIC volunteer, though this may not always be the case, and still should imply nothing whatever about ARIC policy in general or that of any organization whose informational materials appear as part of this or any other ARIC public communication. Likewise, it should further be understood that the appearance of an individual’s name or image in any ARIC publication is not meant to imply anything about the health status and/or sexual preferences of the individual so named or portrayed.