From Rotaract Club Of Mumbai Ghatkopar - RCMG
with
Udaan Trust is a NGO working for the HIV/AIDS patients in India. They provide pre-post counselling, information and guidance on treatment.
Please contact them at www.udaantrust.org or via email udaantrust@vsnl.net for more information.
1st December 07
“Leadership” - is the W.H.O theme for the year 2007-08. It is the promotion of the ongoing slogan - “Stop AIDS, Keep the Promise” - World AIDS Campaign (WAC) emphasis (2005-2010). The theme has been chosen aptly because we need leaders to fight the stigma of AIDS and spread awareness among the masses and mobilize resources for the same.
The Red Ribbon: It is the international symbol of HIV and AIDS awareness. It stands for
- Care and Concern
- Hope
- Support
All over the world, above 42 million people around are now living with HIV or AIDS. The Indian National AIDS Control Organization (NACO) estimates that 5.21 million people were living with HIV in 2005. All over the world more than 8000 people died on account of Aids related illness in 2002. The number is ever increasing.
ABOUT HIV/AIDS: Being HIV positive & having AIDS is not the same. HIV is the stage when the presence of the virus is found in the human body and AIDS is the disease stage when the body’s protective mechanisms are collapsed to fall prey to variety of other infections.
First case of immuno deficiency syndrome was officially recorded in 1981 in Los Angeles when 5 cases of Pneumocystis carinii pneumonia in homosexual men were reported to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) in Los Angeles. First case of HIV infection in India was recorded in 1986 Madras Medical College.
HIV/AIDS can happen to anybody.
HIGH RISK : Direct History -Sex with Commercial Sex Workers, Engaging in Drug Use involving Needles, MSM and sex with MSM (Men Having Sex with Men) and ambiguous history STDs (Sexually Transmitted Diseases) HIV Concentration is High in Blood & Bloody Fluids, Sperm & Seminal Fluid, Cervical Secretions and very Low in Tears, Saliva, Urine
DIAGNOSIS: Of the various tests used for diagnosing HIV/AIDS the commonest are ELISA and Western Blot. However HIV Infection cannot be detected from the time of entry of the virus in the body and the tests showing positive results. This is known as the Window period. This time is approximately 3 months.
TREATMENT: There is no cure for HIV infection. Antiretroviral treatment, however, reduces the HIV virus to a very low number. These drugs help the immune system recover and fight infections and prevent cancers from occurring.
Stigma and discrimination associated with HIV and AIDS are among the greatest barriers to preventing further infections. The stigma surrounding sex, sexuality, and intravenous drug use has prevented millions from receiving information about HIV. There is no way to know with certainty whether a sexual partner is infected.
The best way to prevent this pandemic is knowledge and information and safe sexual practices.
ABC approach to HIV/AIDS Abstinence from sex, Being Faithful to our partner and Correct and Consistent Condom usage
Did you know……..
- The oldest known condom appears in 3000 year old Egyptian illustrations.
- WHO estimate the global population needs of condoms every year to be 24 billion.
- Kissing does not spread HIV- to become infected with HIV you must have sufficient
- HIV to get into bloodstream even if there is a cut or other abrasion in the skin.
- There is no evidence so far to prove that HIV is transmitted through insects.
Condoms, apart from HIV, also help prevent 1. Unwanted Pregnancy 2. Other STD’s like Hepatitis-B, Chlamydia, Syphilis, Gonorrhea…
Female condoms are available now in the market to whosoever may wish to access it.
AIDS is never the direct cause of death. It will lower your immunity which will make you prone to life-threatening diseases from viruses or bacteria (e.g. T.B, Pneumonia) and opportunistic infections like Oral Candidiasis, Kaposi’s sarcoma that rarely make healthy people sick. The present research and preventive efforts are probably not sufficient to curb this pandemic. A lot more commitment from everyone in the country is required to enhance research efforts and implement the strategies to treat and prevent HIV infection.
Come. Let us join the drive and be a part of the philanthropic activities.
Thank you for your co-operation,
Rotaract Club of Mumbai Ghatkopar
Contents |
F.A.Q. on HIV/AIDS
General questions
1a. What does HIV stands for ?
HIV - stands for Human Immuno Deficiency Virus
It is a retrovirus that can lead to acquired immunodeficiency syndrome (AIDS), a condition in humans in which the immune system begins to fail. HIV is different from most other viruses because it attacks the immune system. The immune system gives our bodies the ability to fight infections. HIV finds and destroys a type of white blood cell (T cells or CD4 cells) that the immune system must have to fight disease, leading to life-threatening opportunistic infections. A blood test for HIV looks for antibodies. If you have them in your blood, it means that you have HIV infection. People who have the HIV antibodies are called "HIV-Positive."
1b. What does AIDS stands for ?
AIDS stands for Acquired Immune Deficiency Syndrome :
Acquired means you can get infected with it.
Immune Deficiency means a weakness in the body's system that fights diseases.
Syndrome means a group of health problems that make up a disease.
AIDS is the final stage of HIV infection. It can take years for a person infected with HIV, even without treatment, to reach this stage. Having AIDS means that the virus has weakened the immune system to the point at which the body has a difficult time fighting infections. When someone has one or more of these infections and a low number of T cells, he or she has AIDS.
2. Which of following body fluids spread the Virus :
- Blood
- Semen
- Vaginal fluids
- Breast Milk
- Amniotic Fluid
Answer : All of above.
3. Condoms are available only for men in the market
Answer : No. Nowadays condoms are also available for females as well.
The female condom is a thin sheath or pouch worn by a woman during sex. It entirely lines the vagina and helps to prevent pregnancy and sexually transmitted diseases (STDs) including HIV.It allows women to share responsibility for preventing infection. A woman may be able to use the female condom if her partner refuses to use the male condom.
Although less effective than the male counterparts, it is an effective way of preventing infection.
4. Does protected sex means having sex with a condom ?
Answer : Yes. Using a condom is the way of having safe sex.
5. Can sharing needles for drug use can lead to HIV transmission ?
Answer : Yes. Sharing needles can lead to HIV transmission.
6. Are condoms are 100% safe/foolproof ?
Answer : No. They are not cent % safe.
If people inject themselves (or someone injects them) with medicines or drugs using a needle or syringe which has been used by someone else, who might have HIV, they will be at high risk of getting HIV themselves. Remember that it is not possible to tell if a person has HIV. They might not know it themselves. It is therefore never safe to share someone else's needles or syringes.
7. Telling young people about condoms can pollute them
Answer : No. In fact this will make them much more aware about HIV & AIDS.
8. Is using 2 condoms is a better way of protecting oneself ?
Answer : No. Using two condoms at the same time is not recommended for either safer sex or pregnancy prevention. In fact, "double-bagging" can increase the friction between the condoms during intercourse, making them more likely to rip or tear.
9. Can mosquitoes spread HIV ?
Answer : No. When mosquitoes bite a person, they do not inject the blood of a previous victim into the person they bite next. Mosquitoes do, however, inject their saliva into their victims, which may carry diseases such as dengue fever, malaria, yellow fever, or West Nile virus and can infect a bitten person with these diseases. HIV is not transmitted in this manner.
10. The mode of transmission for HIV are ?
- Sexual route
- Via blood
- Perinatal (from mother to child)
- Injectable drug usage
Answer : All
11. Is HIV the same as AIDS ?
Answer : No. This is false. HIV is an acronym for Human Immunodeficiency Virus, and AIDS (Acquired Immune Deficiency Syndrome) is the collection of symptoms, diseases, and infections associated with an acquired deficiency of the immune system.
While HIV is almost universally acknowledged as the underlying cause of AIDS, not all HIV-positive individuals have AIDS, as HIV can remain in a latent state for many years
12. People living with HIV are not capable of doing their day to day chores
Answer : No.
13. HIV can be treated and not cured
Answer : True. There is no cure for HIV.
However, when taken properly, combinations of different antiretroviral drugs can reduce the amount of HIV in the blood to levels so low that they cannot be detected using the tests that we currently have. Reducing the amount of HIV, or HIV viral load, has been shown to reduce the risk of becoming ill or dying because of HIV. So, reducing HIV viral load, and keeping it low, is the aim of anti-HIV treatment.
14. Can kissing can infect me with HIV/AIDS ?
Answer : No. AIDS cannot be transmitted by any means. "HIV" can be transmitted through mouth to mouth contact but only if there are sores in both mouths. The important risk factor here is blood and pus in the saliva, not the saliva itself.
Wet kissing is safe provided there are no sores such as chapped lips, bleeding gums, herpes, loose fillings, etc. Even then, the odds are infinitesimally small.
15. Should pre-marital testing for HIV/AIDS be made mandatory ?
Answer : Well there is no law as yet but many states are trying to implement it. But the question of human rights comes into picture. If a person is diagnosed of HIV his life may ruined and may have to live with the stigma.
16. Should the family members be informed about the HIV/AIDS - positive status ?
Answer : Yes.
17. Should HIV/AIDS children be encouraged to attend schools ?
Answer : Of course, Yes.
How HIV Is and Is Not Transmitted
HIV is a fragile virus. It cannot live for very long outside the body. As a result, the virus is not transmitted through day-to-day activities such as shaking hands, hugging, or a casual kiss. You cannot become infected from a toilet seat, drinking fountain, doorknob, dishes, drinking glasses, food, or pets. You also cannot get HIV from mosquitoes.
HIV is primarily found in the blood, semen, or vaginal fluid of an infected person.
HIV is transmitted in 3 main ways:
- Having sex (anal, vaginal, or oral) with someone infected with HIV
- Sharing needles and syringes with someone infected with HIV
- Being exposed (fetus or infant) to HIV before or during birth or through breast feeding
Risk Factors for HIV Transmission
You may be at increased risk for infection if you have injected drugs or steroids, during which equipment (such as needles, syringes, cotton, water) and blood were shared with others had unprotected vaginal, anal, or oral sex (that is, sex without using condoms) with men who have sex with men, multiple partners, or anonymous partners exchanged sex for drugs or moneybeen given a diagnosis of, or been treated for, hepatitis, tuberculosis (TB), or a sexually transmitted disease (STD) such as syphilis received a blood transfusion or clotting factor had unprotected sex with someone who has any of the risk factors listed above.
Preventing Transmission
Your risk of getting HIV or passing it to someone else depends on several things.
- Abstain from sex (do not have oral, anal, or vaginal sex) until you are in a relationship with only one person, are having sex with only each other, and each of you knows the other’s HIV status.
- If you have, or plan to have, more than one sex partner consider getting tested for HIV
- If you are a man who has had sex with other men, get tested at least once a year.
- If you are a woman who is planning to get pregnant or who is pregnant, get tested as soon as possible, before you have your baby.
- Talk about HIV and other STDs with each partner before you have sex.
- Learn as much as you can about each partner’s past behavior (sex and drug use), and consider the risks to your health before you have sex.
- Ask your partners if they have recently been tested for HIV; encourage those who have not been tested to do so.
- Use a latex condom and lubricant every time you have sex.
- If you think you may have been exposed to another STD(Sexually Transmitted Disease ), now, STI (Sexually Transmitted Infection), such as gonorrhea, syphilis, or Chlamydia trachomatis infection, get treatment. These diseases can increase your risk of getting HIV.
- Get vaccinated against hepatitis B virus.
- If you do inject drugs, do the following:
Never share needles, syringes, or other works.
- Be careful not to expose yourself to another person's blood.
- Do not have sex when you are taking drugs or drinking alcohol because being high can make you more likely to take risks.
To protect yourself, remember these ABCs:
A = Abstinence
B = Be Faithful
C = Condoms
How does one know if a person has AIDS ?
HIV disease becomes AIDS when your immune system is seriously damaged. If you have less than 200 CD4 cells or if your CD4 percentage is less than 14%, you have AIDS. If you get an opportunistic infection, you have AIDS. There is an "official" list of these opportunistic infections put out by the Centers for Disease Control (CDC). The most common ones are :
- PCP (Pneumocystis pneumonia), a lung infection;
- KS (Kaposi's sarcoma), a skin cancer;
- CMV (Cytomegalovirus), an infection that usually affects the eyes
- Candida, a fungal infection that can cause thrush (a white film in your mouth) or infections in your throat or vagina.
- AIDS-related diseases also includes serious weight loss, brain tumors, and other health problems. Without treatment, these opportunistic infections can kill you.
Acknowledgements: UDAAN TRUST
Sources: NACO, UNAIDS, UNICEF
For further information visit us at www.rotaractmumbaighatkopar.org
email us on rcmgcommunity@gmail.com ; Call us on 9323130014/ 9869356525
