Malawi men ‘developing breasts’: New ARV side effects

October 21, 2014 Maurice Nkawihe- Nyasa Times 102 Comments

The highly rated new regimen of life prolonging Antiretroviral (ARV) drugs in Malawi has started showing its side effects with men developing breasts in the eastern district of Mangochi.

Malawi switched from the old Stavudine (D4 T) based ARVs to the new WHO recommended Tenofovir based regimen 5A last year, which was hailed to have had lesser side effects.

But a study by a Canadian organisation Dignitas International in the eastern region, revealed over 20 cases of men who have developed female-like breasts as result of new ARV regimen side effects.

The cases have been recorded in the district of Mangochi and the issue has also been reported in Machinga district.

Dignitas International District Coordinator for Mangochi, Christopher Kandionamaso said they have received 20 cases of men developing breasts due to the effects of the new ARV regimen.

“We are currently compiling a comprehensive report on all cases reported. The cases where unearthed during our line work which deals with people living with HIV and Aids,” said Kandionamaso..

District Health Officer for Mangochi, William Peno and National Aids Commission (Nac) board member, Marah Kubweza-Banda said there would be  independent investigations to establish the truth about the issue.

“This is strange because the new regimen is regarded to be more effective than the previous one. We are yet to fund out more and ensure something is done about it,” said Peno.

The phased out regimen 1A had many side effects like hump back, central obesity, inflammatory pancreas and mixed up body salts among others.

In July 2012, the Malawi Government signed a MK 64. 7 billion HIV grant from the Global Fund to Fight AIDS, TB, and Malaria to complete the drug transition for all Malawians beginning in mid-2013.
The World Health Organisation (WHO) and government recommend Tenafovir-based regiment in HIV management because it is more efficient and has reduced side effects.

WHO guidelines for treatment of HIV infection in adults and adolescents were changed in 2009 as a way of improving treatment effectiveness and reduce risk of toxicities for individuals residing
in resource-limited and highly affected regions including Malawi.

Ministry of Health last year described the new ARV regimen as friendly with people taking one pill per day unlike in the old treatment where they take the drug twice a day.

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102 replies on “Malawi men ‘developing breasts’: New ARV side effects”

  2. Zandikhuza zedi,Mulungu chonde mankhwalawo ndinu munalowa mmitu ya akatswiri nkupeza ma arv kuti tisathe apo tikuthokoza chifukwa munatikonda monga muja munatitumizira mwana wanu yekhayo,tikhululukileni tizingomwa mankhwalawo koma zayambikazi Ambuye simulephera zisapitirire,tagonja anzathu munauza kuti aziyangana njoka ya nkuwa atakuchimwilani koma chifundo chanu chopambana sanapitirire kufa ifenso tikumwa ma arv tili ndi moyo koma Ambuye sitinanve kuti ataona njoka ya mkuwa sanadwalenso ai,Ambuye chonde chonde tagonja tapemha talapa tithandizeni.

  3. People who have not walked the corridors of a medical college are very difficult to handle,they do not understand medicine.Every drug has its own side effects,and we respond to drugs differently.Even Asprin has adverse side effects,and some people have been told not to take asprin,the same applies to HAART,others are on 5A and some people are on 7A,why because of the way their bodies reacted to that particular regimen,fotseki.

    1. Iwe Balaka guy, yu think being in the corridors of medical colleges nde kuti wamaliza ma sewera. Yu cannot know everything simply bcoz yuv bn in medical corridors. Matama bwanji. Think twice if not thrice bfo yu comment. Chonsecho unalowera likasa/cheating

  5. amalawi kusanva kumangoti kuphunzila mmitu muli gwa mwaiwala kunabwelanso mankhwala ena a cancer ndi madolo omwewo munaliala nawo kuti chwe ,kenako ena waja anthu amaoneka ngati ma baunsa inu tizipemphela chonde,koma kukabwela wopempheletsa ndiye kumunyoza muli ndi wa ku madzi mukhala choncho

  6. this is already stipulated in the Malawi clinical guidelines for the management of HIV/AIDS in adults and children, that regimen 3, 4 and 5 that contains EFV( effavirens) has got the side effect of breast enlargement(gynacomastia) in children and men. and usually when this happens you have to change to NVP( niverapine) even though it written that the breast enlargement resolves spontaneously. So tell the people the truth rather saying you need research. This should not be news because we already know this would happen.

  9. Please in situations like these,avoid showing the persons face. If told and accepted, its OK.
    By the way where is the noise about Mdulidwe now.

  13. Depopulate Africa with a manufactured virus called HIV. and EBOLA AND ALL THAT OTHER BULL??? Give these Africans something to fear to a point that everyone seems to be afraid of Touching another person Kuopa matenda. Stigmatize The natural acts between a man and a woman until the whole black continent is wiped out . Munthuyu sanalodzedwe the problem is that we as poor Africans we are at the mercy of ANTI African fake donor countries whose agenda is to keep the Black populations sick poor and dying. Make our governments sign up our countries natural resources over some fake donor aid which ends up back in their pockets and the racist United nations back pockets. And who suffers ? You me and then next poor brainwashed African who believes kuti Azungu have your best interests at heart . This man is a victim of an un tested Drugs which ultimately kill off your immune system under the guise of prolonging your life. THE QUESTION IS WHO BROUGHT AIDS TO AFRICA. . Africans have to stop being too trusting with these free arvs, free crops akuti food security . Genetically modified foods which now have female hormones and disrupt natural endocrine systems. The result is this boob man . This is just my opinion .

    1. Was he asked about publicizing his photograph; his face and the breasts?? Nyasatimes, please take down the photo.

  20. Mayala a V amenewa ali khenge aunt Tiwo ngini iyi ayikonda heve.Eeish kabele ngati kabuthu inayake ya mlhako.

  22. Ooooh something very strange who should taue serious measures against the drugs.sory man u will be alright and back to normal lets play hard for him Blessings Khonje Enukweni Khuyukuyu Mzimba .

  23. Zandikhuza kwambiri sionse ali ndi HIV ali a chigololo mulunguwathu apatu ndiye tagonja mutikhululukire inu YEHOVA

  26. This isnt good cause am one of them and am living in blantyre lets just switch to the first drug “chifukwa zinthu sizili bwino”

  28. where are the benefits of mdulidwe.Mind you mdulidwe is just as good as bomb @ doorstep

  29. koma ngati ndi choncho kulibwino kungofa ndi HIV yomweyo. Nanga mukulu ameneyu angavale T-shirts nkumayenda bwinobwino mu town kopanda anthu kumuseka? Ma ARV angomuonjezera mavuto. Mwina popeza masiku ano kuli Gender azingovala ma bra

  30. koma ngati ndi choncho kulibwino kungafa ndi HIV yomweyo. Nanga mukulu ameneyu angavale T-shirts nkumayenda bwinobwino mu town

  32. Mmesa mmati ndi ndulidwe sangatenge HIV. Nanga achawa onse siwodulidwa zikutheka bwanji. Mmangonamiza amuna kuwadula nkumatumiza zikopa ku Libray. HIV siimva ndulidwe

    1. Osasiya maberewo asiya mulungu sataya wake. Thokozani moyo. Mukulera ana akukuwonanii umasiye ndiowawa. Ena anapita kale opanda mwayi wamankhwala. Kaya uli deformed koma ukulera ana ako thokoza mulungu uli moyo zinazo zazingono.

  35. The problem with Malawi is that due to poverty we do not have the courage to ask before receiving. We receive anything that is thrown at us without a question. It is possible that these people did not conduct any trials in their research, they used Malawi as a supplier of guinea pigs. The affected need to sue for a large sum with the help of Human Rights teams due to the abuse they have received. They have been used as guinea pigs without their consent.

  38. was this a trial or a roll out it reminds me of Constant Gardener how we get used in dangerous medical trials basing on regions and climatic conditions to determine the final drug, may we as College of Medicine be at times involved in such studies tisamangosiyira akunjawa akutisewera

  40. The drugs have side effects…we all know…. but this is too much….. the study concentrated on one area…. why not other regions…… please…..

    May be they a taking two drugs in a day instead of one…… Ministry of Health can you do you research…….

    We need to know,,,, this is not normal…….

    God help us……

  41. Zikametele umakumbuka mawu a Yesu pa mtanda aliyense adzilile yekha. Kuli ngozi kutsogoloku and mwai sitimela maliseche achifemale? Zathina pamenepa. Nanga amai akumela chani?

  42. Zabodza izi,anawalodza kwawo amenewa..ife tikumwa 5A koma tili njii kulimba wopanda wotidziwa kuti tikumwa.Paja achawa makhwala ayamba kunamizila AR..Za zii,kwa ife ili mushe.Mpaka bele kukula choncho kunamizila AR,akulodzani bambo.

  43. Mukunvetu kulalata pamene status yanu simukuyidziwa mantha kuti mukayezetse.
    Know this kukhala usakudziwa status yako sizitanthauza kuti ulibe Kachilombo-side effects are not permanent they eventually goes away

  48. PEPA MBALE WANGA. THIS IS TOO BAD AND PAINFULL. LETS HOPE ITS REVERASABLE BY THE MEDICS OR NETURE IN THE LONG RUN.

  50. ebola is killing us to the west of africa.Here you talk of breast developing tigwire mutengo wanji sopano.

  51. God have mercy on us!!! Anthu akuti tipulumuke titalikitseko moyo,
    kumameranso mabele like women zoona? Prevention is better than
    cure is the only answer to end this disaster abale, Please X 1,000,000.

    Azungu ndi oyipa kwabasi. Amatumiza kuno ku Africa zimankhwala
    zoipa zoti iwowo kwaoko sangamwe oro kuno kwathu. The same with
    women contraceptive drugs. Cases of Azimai kutumera zotupa mmimba
    zachuruka due to these harmful drugs. While preventing pregnancy, other
    side effects follows: pabwino ndi pati tsono? Aa-aa!! Tizingobereka basi.

    The Devil is a liar!! Angosiya kumwa kae mankhwalawa so that mabele aphwele
    kae, Akutionongera abale athu chonchi zoona? Iii-sh! NDAKWIYATU INE!!

  52. Ung’ono Ung’ono ameneyo Atupele Muluzi kufuna kukhwimira u president 2019. Chitate chake chi Bakili chikungokhalira kuyendayenda ku state house. Mathanyula beware of Muluzi Elesoni Bakili because he has not forgotten what your brother Kahuna Ben Phiri did to him. Kodi ma disc aja Baba Muluzi mwachira liti? Revive mlandu wake ameneyu ankangokhalira ku RSA kuthawa kumangidwa. Now he can face the courts again because he is fine.

  53. Can somebody please give me the contact addresses of Christopher Kandionamaso,director of Dignitas in Mangochi.My number is 0111756313.

  54. Abambo amenewa akanakhala a ku Northern Region ma comments akanafika 3000 kutukwana Atumbuka onse. Shame on Central Region and Southern Region. Zanu izo! Mulungu akulangeni nonse onyoza a Tumbuka.

  57. Do u pipo tokin za chpongwe kno anyting about ARV’s or HIV and AIDS or u jst tokin coz munamvapo. Chikakhala kwa mzako nde chigwire ny’anga

  58. Likely to happen in other districts too, only that the survey was done in Mangochi. As long a it keeps people live, it is still better.

  63. Hypogonardism is a known side effect of 5A..with effects ranging from breast enlargement as well as male braests…low sex drive as well as erectile dysfunction…any medic working with HIV knows this….talk about misala(acute pyschosis), That comes with this so called friendly regimen….

  68. This article is misleading! And a slap in face of all effort to initiate all infected patients on ART. We are using this supposedly new medicine in our country and nothing of that sort was reported to us. Beside this is not a new medicine but rather it was only chosen as a first line regimen due to its efficacy and lesser side effect compared to D4T(stavudine)

  76. strange that its only mangochi.why? we all need to ask this question why only in mangochi are men developping breasts after taking new version of ARVS? To me the new regime of ARVs is very effective , has no side effects and drastically brings to zero the population of the virus in the body.

    1. If it works for you it doesn’t mean it does for everyone else. And there is no way an ARV can bring the virus to zero and have no side effect. Ingonenani kuti inu zikukuyenderani.

    2. Where did you learn this crap? There is no drug without side effects, these ARVs have side effects. And this regiment does not bring to zero the virus population, it just lowers it enough to make it undetectable using current diagnostic equipment.

  80. Lord have mercy! But why only. Eastern Region? May be our researchers. Should really investigate

  86. hahaha tasanduka ma labrats amalawi. Zomvesa chisoni kwambili. mapeto ake katundu adukanso haha. Zonsezi ndi gay wamutharika – akufuna amuna nonse azikupw…..

  87. Nde pamenepa tinene kiti boma lichitapo chai?????? is the GVT going to compezat these ppo 4 wrong prscption?????????

  91. HOPE THOSE AFFECTED WILL BE KNOWN BY PUBLIC HENCE IT WILL REDUCE THE TRAMISSION. WODWALA AIDS SAMAWONEKA. I WOULD LOVE AZIMAYI AZITULUKA NDEVU ZAMBIRI.

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