If I kept it to myself - World YWCA

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If I kept it to myself TOOL BOX Sharing Knowledge HIV and AIDS Education The annual increase of new HIV infections annually shows that current prevention messages are not as effective as we would like them to be. For current information on what is happening globally, have a look at the UNAIDS December 2005 AIDS epidemic update www.unaids.org We live in a world where the people who need the information and education are not receiving it. Access to education and information is a human right and must to be available to all. Anyone, irrespective of who they are, can become infected with HIV. Help prevent new infections Knowledge is power. If you know your HIV status, you can take action through behaviour change and making the right decisions. Due to all kinds of fear, most of us are unaware of our HIV status. We pretend that it’s not a problem and perpetuate the ‘them and us’ situation with comments such as ‘things like this do not happen to people like me.’ You can start just by talking about issues relating to HIV and AIDS. What it is, how it is/isn’t transmitted, and how people can protect themselves from new infections. Information is useless if we do not put it into action. Gandhi said “Be the change you want to see.” Teach people how to use information practically by being an example for people in your community to follow. • Suggest and practice safer sex. Find out how people can access condoms and make sure they know how to use them. • If you are injecting drugs use clean needles and never share! 42 Promote positive living by: • Finding someone you can talk to and confide in. Being diagnosed HIV positive is hard to deal with all alone • Getting informed about HIV and AIDS • Speaking to other HIV positive people and seeing how they have managed to keep a positive outlook on life • Taking responsibility for your health. We tend to blame others for situations we find ourselves in, but often put ourselves at risk. The issue is not how or where you contracted HIV, but accepting that you are HIV positive • Being checked for tuberculosis (TB) and Sexually Transmitted Diseases (STDs). In some countries TB accounts for more than half of AIDS-related
Young women intervene in a world with AIDS conditions, but the good news is that it is curable • Researching your treatment options. What traditional, western medicine or complementary therapies are available, accessible and will work for you • Planning a future and putting it into action. An HIV positive diagnosis does not mean that your life has to end. Set yourself goals, and start working towards them • Expressing your feelings and dealing with your emotions. Anger, for example, can become destructive to your system if not well handled • Managing stress • Engaging in activities you enjoy. Find a reason to live. Living with HIV may be a challenge, but you can also choose to live a very powerful life both mentally and emotionally • Staying fit. There is a direct relationship between health and fitness. Exercise helps your state of mind, body and spirit • Ending bad habits such as smoking and substance abuse, and starting to respect your body. Change is a process that is never easy, but if you want to live a longer and healthier life start making changes that will enable you to do this • Disclosing your HIV positive status only when you have accepted it, are ready and are well informed about HIV and AIDS • Having protected sex through consistent use of a condom so that you do not re-infect yourself or your partner • Trying as much as possible to ensure you have a balanced diet. Reduce stigma and discrimination Stigma and discrimination are often used in the same sentence, but if we look more closely, they have different meanings. “Stigma is not exactly the same as discrimination at least in terms of connotation. Stigma has an additional connotation to discrimination, namely of strong emotional rejection over and above structural inequity. ‘Stigma’ is characterised by overt fear, whereas ‘discrimination’ is not always overt. We therefore propose that stigma is the extreme end of a discrimination continuum.” Taken from Self-stigma and HIV and AIDS by David Patient We can deal with stigma and discrimination by: • Finding out more about HIV and AIDS. If you are informed you will be able to correct people’s myths and misconceptions, usually the root cause of stigma. And don’t forget to look at your own beliefs and perceptions 43
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