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If you are HIV-positive, there's a pretty good chance you do. By almost all accounts, the incidence of smoking is higher in the HIV community than in the general public. One researcher, Jenine Harris of the Saint Louis University School of Public Health in St. Louis, says the rate of smoking among people with HIV is as much two or three times that of the general population. Some estimates say that more than 50% of people living with HIV smoke.

Let's cut straight to the bottom line: if you are HIV-positive and you smoke, it's time to quit.

Here's why. Smoking weakens the immune system. Of course, this is true for healthy people, as well as those with HIV. Smoking is a major contributor to heart disease, stroke, and cancer - the leading causes of death in America. Nobody should smoke!

If you have HIV, it is even more important that you quit, because your immune system is already weakened. Smoking adds insult to injury. All the bad things that smoking does to healthy people, it does to people with HIV faster.

In addition:

Smoking can make it harder to fight off HIV-related infections, especially infections of the lungs. This applies to smoking marijuana as well as tobacco. (Having HIV increases the risk of chronic lung disease.)

Smoking can interfere with your liver's ability to process your HIV medications. It can also worsen liver problems like hepatitis.

Smoking can make you more likely to suffer complications from your HIV medications. People who smoke are more likely to experience nausea and vomiting from taking HIV medications.

Smoking increases your risk of some of the long-term side effects of HIV disease and treatment. These include osteoporosis - loss of bone mass that can lead to fractures.

People with HIV disease who smoke are more likely to develop opportunistic infections related to HIV, including thrush, oral hairy leukoplakia (whitish mouth sores), bacterial pneumonia, and pneumocystis pneumonia.

For women, smoking can increase the risk and severity of infection with human papilloma virus (HPV). This increases the risk of cervical disease.

Smoking is highly addictive - there's no doubt about it. But millions of people have managed to quit, and you can, too!

There is no one way to quit smoking - different methods of quitting work better for different people. Talk to your health care provider about what approach might work best for you. Here are just a few of the options:

Cold Turkey. Yes, some people just stop smoking. They throw their cigarettes away and never buy another pack.

Peer Group Support. Some people need a social support system to quit. Ask around for a smoking cessation program near you, or check on-line.

Medications. Nicotine withdrawal can be treated with medications. Gums and lozenges that reduce nicotine cravings are available over-the-counter. Prescription medications, available only through your doctor, include inhalers, nasal sprays, and pills. Popular smoking cessation drugs include Chantix (varenicline) and Zyban (buproprion).

It doesn't matter how you stop smoking - the important thing is just to do it! If your first try doesn't work, take another approach and try again.

Good luck!

Copyright 2010, Positive Health Publications, Inc.

This magazine is intended to enhance your relationship with your doctor - not replace it! Medical treatments and products should always be discussed with a licensed physician who has experience treating HIV and AIDS!