KUALA LUMPUR, March 29 — For the first time in the world, a HIV-positive patient donated a kidney to another person also living with HIV.
BBC reported that both patients were reportedly doing well after the kidney transplant was performed at Johns Hopkins in Baltimore, Maryland, in the United States.
“This is the first time someone living with HIV has been allowed to donate a kidney, ever, in the world,” Dr Dorry Segev was quoted saying.
HIV was previously perceived as a great risk factor for kidney disease in the donor. But new anti-retroviral drugs for HIV were reportedly seen as safe for kidneys.
Donor Nina Martinez, 35, reportedly said an episode of medical drama “Grey’s Anatomy” had inspired her to donate her kidney.
“I knew that I was the one that they had been waiting for,” she was quoted saying. “For anyone considering embarking on this journey, it’s doable.
“I’ve just showed you how and I’m very excited to see who the first follow-on might be.”
