I've had parrots all my life. They live a very long time and require a great deal of care and love. They can be destructive to furniture and are messy, too. Please don't buy them. Rescue one if you can dedicate years to it's well being. But remember, they live a long time and will become attached to you. They can have broken hearts if ignored or abandoned.
Efavirenz, not efavorenz. If you're going to be a science writer, you should either look shit up, or invest in Stedman's medical spellchecker. Nice column, though.
(Also: "Leukemia"? Not a proper noun.)