From the IAC 2008… on circumcision

Circumcision

Tripling the number of circumcised men could reduce by half the number of HIV infections in the countries hardest hit by the epidemic, research presented to the Mexico conference suggests.

But it could take up to 50 years for circumcision to have its full impact on the epidemic, and it would involve circumcising the majority of sexually active men aged between 15 and 45.

Other research showed that circumcision was not associated with a reduction in sexual function and pleasure.

Zack -for WARRT Admin

Fighting Demons- the Magic Johnson way

I usually lurk about gossip sites. I get my daily fix from that. Sometime back as I made my daily rounds…I stumbled upon MEDIATAKEOUT.COM. MTO (As it is fondly called) calls itself a black online site that works to further blacks in the showbiz. This must be extended to include actors, singers, sports stars, politicians and anyone who is famous for being famous (Read: Paris Hilton, Kim Kardashian and Nicole Richie).

This particular article was about Earvin “Magic” Johnson, the erstwhile basketball great who once plied his trade for Los Angeles Lakers Basketball team in the NBA. We all know Magic’s story. His HIV story. Well at least those of us that know a little bit about the sport of basketball.

Magic Johnson tested positive for HIV during one of his team’s physical test sessions in the early 1990’s. The announcement that followed shocked the sporting world and sent shockwaves thru the core of America. See, then, HIV was associated with homosexuals and it is believe that one a few heterosexuals contracted the virus. So it came as no huge surprise to Magic when he was branded as gay or bisexual. Although he vehemently denied this,he was thought to have had multiple sexual partners, including men. Magic announced that he’d had many partners during the course of his success in basketball (as was the case with most successful people at the time). And it was through this that he contracted the virus.

His wife and children were all HIV negative.

He promptly retured from the game. But because he was so good at it, he was voted back into the 1992 Olympic “Dream Team”, the 1992 All Star game and even helped the Western conference to a win. This didn’t come smoothly for him, his participation was met with strong criticism from teammates and opposing players who were still very ignorant about the disease and thought they could contract the virus by just being in touching distance with Magic.

This he all took in his stride and proved that success could come whatever the situation and condition. In the 1993 NBA season, he attempted a comeback which stopped before the season began. The heavy criticism from the NBA forced him back into retirement. That was the last time he played or attempted to play competitive basketball.

He however set up foundations and attended or lectured at seminars and conferences about his fight with the disease and ways of prevetion and managing it. His foundation has grown to accommodate opther charitable causes other than HIV/AIDS alone and he has advocated for cheaper AIDS drugs from GlaxoSmithKline, the pharmacuetical company whose anti AIDS drugs he fronts.

He has also worked with Doctor/ Physician Dr. Lynn Montana to help educate the world’s youth about the risks associated with HIV.

While I was at MTO I encountered what I think is the worst problem in the fight against AIDS. And it’s not stigma. It is IGNORANCE.

One would find it hard to believe that people in Uganda are more knowledgable about HIV/AIDS than people in the USA and other western countries. With the level of development and education, I would expect them to have been well versed with all to do with HIV/AIDS.

This article has a “chubby” Magic Johnson. And they ask how he does it… How he puts on weight?

The ignorance has led them to believe that HIV/AIDS makes the sufferer lose weight and appear frail. So when Magic Johnson is seen as “fat” and well rounded they wonder.

But this isn’t the eye catchng bit…when u scroll all the way to the end and read the comments is when u shall realise how bad it is. I want to believe that they are all just sarcastic comments, but all the readers can’t be that sarcastic. Good senses of humor belong to very few of us.

This will open your eyes.

Have a good day y’all

-Miss Cheri for Bloggers Against AIDS

While we are on the topic

As the adverts say, it all begins with you.

All you bloggers who have taken an HIV test, leave your mark here. It may encourage others to know that some obviously intelligent successful young people are doing the smart thing. It will also shock you to know how many “smart” people are just going about not knowing.

I, Petesmama did the needful in October, 2007. It was my long overdue first time.

Et toi?

Reality versus Ideality. Sincerity versus sympathy

This is a conundrum. And excruciating one. A rock, you, then the hard place.

This is a situation where you have to put your feelings, ideals and impartiality aside and delve into the abyss that being sincere. With yourself and with your God.

We all know HIV/AIDS and STI’s can only be transfered through unprotected sex with an infected person, open sores, sharing sharp objects with an infected person, from mother to child at birth, at breast feeding and blood tranfusion with infected blood. Those are the only ways an HIV negative person can contract the virus from a positive person. Right?

AIDS is not seen as a monster that can’t be handled anymore. The availability of “cheap” ARVS and prevention methods has helped a great deal in curbing and minimising infection and HIV related deaths. Today, a HIV+ person can live a further 10-20 years in great health on Anti Retro Viral medication. This way, the number of deaths has fallen drastically compared to the early 1980’s and 1990’s when the prevalence a mortality rates where so high. We all know that with the right medicine and feeding or lifestyle, one can have HIV without suffering from AIDS. Because AIDS is a combination of all the diseases that attack the body that has already been weakend by the HIV.

So essentially, not everyone who is HIV+ has AIDS but every one who has AIDS is HIV+. U get?

That is the reality of the situation.

The ideality of the situation is that HIV/AIDS infected persons should not be ostracized. They should be treated with respect. Stigma is a global fight in the AIDS war. Fighting stigma with help people learn more about HIV/AIDS from everywhere. It will also help the infected people to learn about ways in which they can improve their lives and fight other diseases from attacking their immune systems.

Ideals are all about living in harmony with HIV+ people and leading a normal life with them. Right?

But here is a situation where u have a new born baby. (Most women get the services of nannies/babysitters/maids to help with the heap of work that comes with a newborn baby.) A mother employs a baby sitter to help with the extra baby chores around.

After a few weeks of having the maid around, she seems sickly with a constant cough, flu and some spaced out bouts of malaria and fevers. Then one day to take her to hospital and suggest an HIV test. Lo and behold, it comes out POSITIVE! The maid had no idea she was HIV+ positive and the doctor says her condition is not grave but she is suffering from AIDS as well as her immune system is already very weak and all these diseases like Cough, fever, flu and the sores are staring to develop. Of course she is put on medication ASAP so as not to complicate her situation further. And u go back home.

The babysitter has been so good to you and the baby and does her work very well.

But the problem is, you don’t feel comfortable anymore, leaving your baby with that baby sitter. It’s just a fear u have in you. And u start to look around for another babysitter so u can relieve the current one of her duties. That is the reality of this situation.

That is someone else’s situation.

Now, I kindly ask you to put yourself in her shoes and tell me what u would have done. Be sincere with yourself and think about it. If u had a child that was being looked after by an HIV/AIDS infected sitter, would u FIRE or keep her HIRED?

Waiting on your responses.

-Miss Cheri for Bloggers Against AIDS.

Welcome to our new Blog

Been a while

Hi people…

I usually lurk about gossip sites. I get my daily fix from that. Sometime back as I made my daily rounds…I stumbled upon MEDIATAKEOUT.

And this is what they had to say…please read the post and follow thru to the comments to see how ignorant people still are.

This will open your eyes.

The fight actually got tougher!!!

HIV sufferers should be banned
Friday, April 13, 2007

The Australian Prime Minister has called for a ban on HIV-positive people entering the country.

John Howard said his government was investigating whether it could tighten existing restrictions to stop sufferers migrating to Australia.

Asked in a radio interview whether people with the virus that causes AIDS should be allowed into Australia as migrants or refugees, Mr. Howard said: ‘My initial reaction is no.’

He said there may be ‘humanitarian considerations’ in certain cases, and that he would like to take ‘more counsel’ on the issue.

‘I think we should have the most stringent possible conditions in relation to that nationwide,’ he added.

‘I know the health minister is concerned about that and is examining ways of tightening things up.’

Mr. Howard was asked about the issue during a visit to Melbourne, where the state health minister said this week 70 of the 334 new HIV infection cases reported in Victoria in 2006 were among immigrants who had arrived in the country with the virus.

Don Baxter, of the non-government group the Australian Federation of AIDS Organizations, said HIV tests were among health checks prospective immigrants were given already.

Infection was already grounds for rejection on the grounds that an HIV-positive person could impose an unfair burden on the public health system, he added.
‘It’s very tight already,” Mr Baxter said.

Many countries, including the United States, impose restrictions on immigration and visa approvals for people with HIV, though there are often exceptions in special cases.

*************************************
I’d heard about these restrictions before but after reading that news article, it hit me that HIV/AIDS sufferers are still going to be treated with scorn and the stigma isn’t going to ever go away.

If they can be barred from entering a country just because they are HIV positive, then how is the western world going to claim to be fighting the disease when they give it an “arm’s length” attitude. It’s not like they will catch it thru a sneeze.

According to the article, the US only allows “special cases” into the country. I wonder what special cases these are seeing as it makes no difference when u’re infected. And they can’t be going for treatment because ARVs are now available almost everywhere. So maybe the special cases they talk about are the positive persons that are going to attend a cetrain conference on HIV prevention.

This is really absurd and pathetic.

-Cheri.

PS: Original articlae adapted from Metro News @ metro.co.uk. Additional writing below the stars by Cheri.

The fight just got tough

Adapted from Metro News. @metro.co.uk

One in five people in Britain is unaware that HIV is transmitted through unprotected sex.
Experts fear the number of people with HIV, which can lead to Aids, will increase dramatically as ignorance about the virus grows.

About 21 per cent of people did not know that unprotected sex spreads the virus, a survey showed, compared with just nine per cent eight years ago.
And 31 per cent of people were unaware that sharing a needle also spreads HIV, compared with 12 per cent in 2000.

Deborah Jack, chief executive of the National Aids Trust, said: ‘In recent years we have witnessed knowledge and understanding about HIV decline at the same time that HIV diagnoses have reached an all-time high.

By 2010 there will be over 100,000 people living with HIV in the UK if current trends continue. We cannot afford to be complacent about HIV education.’
Only six per cent of people could correctly identify the four main ways HIV is spread: unprotected sex, blood transfusions, shared needles and via breast-feeding.
Ms Jack added: ‘Ignorance about HIV increases vulnerability to infection and also contributes to stigma and discrimination.’

But the Public Attitudes Towards HIV survey did show that more than two-thirds of people claimed it would not affect their relationship if a relative or neighbor had HIV.

-Cheri

Stigma is the bigger issue here…

I read a post over at Chichi’s in the (2nd and 3rd paragraphs) about the Red ribbon she wore on world AIDS day.

In the post, a much older colleague of hers asks her why she’s “advertising” her status with the ribbon. By this, that guy obviously meant that by Chichi wearing the Red Ribbon symbolised her infection with HIV/AIDS and positive living. This is very astonishing coming from someone that lives in Uganda (a country that has fought the HIV/AIDS virus so hard that the scars will never go away.) This guy works for a humanitarian organisation that provides food and aid to people in need. Most of these people in need are HIV orphans and victims.

Being an employee of this organization alone should bring him into close proximity with HIV patients almost everyday. And he still asks why she is “advertising” her status? And given that this man is higher than her in both age and seniority makes it a disgusting thing that he said that. I’d understand if it came for a 15 year old. But him?

Stigma is the biggest obstacle in the success in the fight against AIDS in the world. Stigma is the open aggression towards HIV/ AIDS. It is what we called “Pointing fingers” way back when AIDS had just hit. Way back when every “thin” person, or anyone with a cough or fever was suspected of having “silim”/Slim”. It is this that gave the sufferers that embarrassment they suffered when they learnt that they were infected with the virus. I learnt that when u point one finger at someone, the other 3 are pointing right back at u.

Further down in Chichi’s post, there is another female colleague of hers that says that “she can never be close to an HIV positive person.” I think this is very careless and ignorant of her. It borders on illiteracy. When we were children (about 9 yrs olds) we hid from our relatives that were thought to suffer from AIDS. Because we thought they would infect us if they touched us. That was then. HIV was not talked about then and we could be excused for our actions because we were very young then and we had not been educated about HIV. For someone to still speak of such in this day and age is short of stupid.

In the past decade, there has been a huge transformation. 2 decades ago, when people found out that they were infected, most of them took their own lives because they saw HIV/AIDS as a death sentence. Infected people were excommunicated and shunned by everybody, including their relations. Suicide was seen as a way out.

When the government of Uganda fought AIDS by fighting stigma, this was a well aimed arrow. These days, many “high” society people are living positively with HIV and are well known activists. An example is ActionAid’s Beatrice Were. HIV should no longer be seen as a curse of a death sentence. It should be seen as a manageable illness. Just like Asthma.

I still think that the fight against AIDS is one that will never end if we still have adults that think like 5 year olds in this era of sensitization.

- Cheri

Still Keeping the promise…

Thank you for putting up a brave fight. However, we need to re-arm now.

How time flies; it feels like just the other day that I talked about the Red Ribbon for the first time. And a year has gone by already. Another year and more good news on the HIV battle front. Well, not entirely good news. It’s just Uganda that’s doing well in that war. It’s shouldn’t be just Uganda that does well, the whole world should be ululating and jumping with joy. The prevalence rates in Uganda have fallen drastically from 21percent to 7 percent between 1991 and 2004. With this result, Uganda; which was once seen as one of the worst affected countries; is seen as a huge success story in the global fight against AIDS? This is a direct result of the awareness campaigns mounted by the government with assistance from international grants and donations. However, in countries like Jamaica, Dominican Republic Zambia and Senegal, the prevalence rates are soaring. Perhaps they should adopt the steps Uganda took to fight this disease.

Aside from all the campaigning and marketing, the Red Ribbon still continues to cause waves. Like the poppy campaign in Britain to remember World War heroes, the ribbon is worn in remembrance of the dead, the people living positively with AIDS and it also helps as a reminder to people of the danger of AIDS.

Teenagers here completely disregard whatever is said about protection. According to some sources most teenagers are more afraid of unwanted pregnancy than they are of contracting the virus. On a popular talk show here, the Jeremy Kyle show which features mainly adolescents with issues such as child custody, drug addiction, multiple sex partners and teenage pregnancies, most of the guests don’t really know much about HIV. Countries need to adopt stronger and more effective communication methods to get the vital information to the people in this age group as they are more in danger given their lax approach to sex.

People should stop thinking about HIV/AIDS as a disease that affects only people in developing countries as this stereotype only works to put them in danger. Reports show that the prevalence rates in Britain are rising faster than rates elsewhere in Europe.

It’s almost 4 decades since the HIV virus first hit and no vaccine has been discovered in spite of all the money and time sank into it. It has claimed more than 25 million lives worldwide. That is a little under the entire current population of Uganda. Each day, about 6000 children are orphaned. More than ¾s of these children are in Sub Saharan Africa and Asia. The statistics are sad. But statistics are not a way to win a war. Statistics only work to make staggering exaggerations.

The only statistics that matter to this fight are the increase in the number of people that choose to Abstain from sex until they get married; the number of people that choose to Be faithful to their partners and finally, the number of people that choose to use Condoms as a method of protection. As these numbers increase, HIV/AIDS will be kicked out for good hopefully.

Here’s to the continued fight against AIDS and stigma. And hopefully to an HIV free generation in 20 years.

-Cheri