African Traditional Herbal Research Clinic STD's ... - Blackherbals.com

Continued from page 48 - Nigeria: HIV/Aids - If You're Not
Infected, You're Affected
between initial infection and the onset of serious
symptoms.
Who has HIV
More Nigerians getting HIV test, most never tested,
Studies say 98 per cent in Nigeria don't know.
If you've been diagnosed with HIV (human immunedeficiency
virus), or know someone who has, the need for
support and compassion couldn't be greater. But all too
often HIV-positive people become targets of
discrimination and stigma. In addition to handling new
health challenges, they sometimes face rejection by
family and friends. They may be forced out of homes,
lose jobs, or even become victims of violence.
Discrimination and stigma
It means you are treated differently than other people
simply because you are infected with HIV.
If you're newly diagnosed with HIV or about to start HIV
treatment, you may still be haunted by the old spectre of
gaunt AIDS patients and few treatment options. AIDS is
still here and it is still a serious disorder. But the picture
today is very different than it 15, 10, or even five years
ago.
Life expectancy has improved dramatically. For many
patients, it can be close to that of uninfected persons.
Factors that often lead to AIDS discrimination and stigma
include:
• HIV is a deadly disease that many people fear.
• Some adults still wrongly believe that they can
catch HIV through casual contact, such as
sharing a drinking glass or touching a toilet seat.
This greatly increases their fear about being near
people who are infected.
• Many people connect HIV and AIDS with
behaviours that are already stigmatised, such as
sex between men or injecting drugs.
• Some people believe that having HIV or AIDS is
the person's own fault. For example, they might
think it's the result of moral weakness and
deserves to be punished.
Unfortunately, AIDS discrimination and stigma also fuel
the epidemic. They prevent people from talking about
their HIV status with sex partners or people with whom
they share needles. Fear of rejection and worries about
confidentiality also prevent many from getting tested for
HIV. This means they may spread HIV to others without
knowing it.
-49- Traditional African Clinic October 2011
Coping with AIDS Stigma
The first step might be to seek support from people who
understand the issues. Either local HIV/AIDS support
groups, or a psychologist, psychiatrist, or clinical social
worker.
Discovery & diagnosis
In 1981, homosexual men with symptoms of a disease that
now are considered typical of the acquired
immunodeficiency syndrome (AIDS) were first described
in Los Angeles and New York. The men had an unusual
type of lung infection (pneumonia) called Pneumocystis
carinii (now known as Pneumocystis jiroveci) pneumonia
(PCP) and rare skin tumors called Kaposi's sarcomas. The
patients were noted to have a severe reduction in a type of
cell in the blood that is an important part of the immune
system, called CD4 cells.
These cells, often referred to as CD4 T cells, help the body
fight infections. Shortly thereafter, this disease was
recognized throughout the United States, Western Europe,
and Africa. In 1983, researchers in the United States and
France described the virus that causes AIDS, now known as
the human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) and belonging to
the group of viruses called retroviruses. In 1985, a blood
test became available that measures antibodies to HIV that
are the body's immune response to the HIV.
This blood test remains the best method for diagnosing HIV
infection. Recently, tests have become available to look for
these same antibodies in blood and saliva, some providing
results within 20 minutes of testing.
Transmission
HIV is present to variable degrees in the blood and genital
secretions of virtually all individuals infected with HIV,
regardless of whether or not they have symptoms. The
spread of HIV can occur when these secretions come in
contact with tissues such as those lining the vagina, anal
area, mouth, or eyes (the mucus membranes), or with a
break in the skin, such as from a cut or puncture by a
needle.
The most common ways in which HIV is spreading
throughout the world include sexual contact, sharing
needles, and by transmission from infected mothers to their
newborns during pregnancy, labor (the delivery process), or
breastfeeding. (See the section below on treatment during
pregnancy for a discussion on reducing the risk of
transmission to the newborn.)
Sexual transmission of HIV has been described from men
to men, men to women, women to men, and women to
women through vaginal, anal, and oral sex. The best way to
avoid sexual transmission is abstinence from sex until it is
certain that both partners in a monogamous relationship are
Continued on page 52