Archive for October, 2011
How Does HIV Home Testing Work?
Getting an HIV test can be stressful and embarrassing for many people. Due to the stigma that still surrounds the disease, many people fear that having HIV will cause people to judge them as promiscuous or to make assumptions about drug use. While the medical community is now well aware of HIV statistics and the ways that HIV can be transmitted, and of the fact that anyone who is sexually active or comes into contact with blood is at risk, this stigma keeps many people from getting tested. HIV home testing is an excellent way for people to find out for certain whether or not they are HIV positive, without having to face doctors and community members in a local clinic. These tests are anonymous and highly accurate.
A HIV home test is done using a finger stick much like those performed on diabetics to measure blood sugar levels. The sample is then sent to a lab, where results will be available anywhere from the day they are received to a few weeks later, depending on the test and the company. Most companies allow people to send in their HIV home test using only PIN numbers or codes that they set up so that results are completely confidential. Counseling is also offered in many cases, regardless of a positive or negative result in order to help people learn to prevent the disease and to ensure that people are prepared in case the result is positive.
The FDA does not allow HIV test results to be determined or read at home. There are many reasons for this, and it is due in large part to the amount of work required to determine that a diagnosis is accurate. Because HIV is considered such a serious diagnosis, it is a primary goal of these companies to ensure that accurate results are always given. Read the rest of this entry »
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HIV/AIDS Programmes and Humanitarian Services
Humanitarian Emergencies And Spreading Of HIV
Humanitarian emergencies escalate the spreading of HIV and as such humanitarian aid should include programs to minimize the risk of further infection. Such emergencies include that of conflicts where violence against women and children is heightened. Large scale displacement because of political violence, natural disasters, and food shortages may cause families to force women and children in their families into prostitution as to get income. This type of action is guaranteed to increase the affects of the humanitarian crisis.
Humanitarian aid should thus include food, free condoms, counselling, voluntary and confidential HIV screening; Africa is the continent hardest hit by large scale displacement of people because of food shortages and political conflicts. Governments must actively create HIV care programs to assist not only in medical care and ensure hygienic settings, but also to help the families cope with infections, loss of income and overcoming the stigma associated with infection.
Humanitarian and health programs and spending by the governments in Africa have not been enough. Many of the governments have ignored the problem for too long, thus resulting in preventative programs being only in their beginning stages. One of the most important aspects of limiting the spreading of HIV is the establishment of a strong prevention strategy and the implementation thereof. Programs should include active educational programs in the communities, their schools and tertiary educational facilities.
HIV spreads because of several reasons and any humanitarian program that hopes to succeed must address all the major causes of spreading. Ignorance of how the disease is spread is one of the major causes. In the USA for instance, the popular belief amongst teenagers is that HIV is not spread by oral sex and as such they practice it freely. Correct information is thus essential to prevent not only the spreading of the disease, but also overcoming the stigma associated with such. Humanitarian programs must therefore include medical treatments also for HIV related diseases, information sessions, and active care programs if we are to win this ongoing battle against HIV/Aids. Read the rest of this entry »
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Even With Condoms, You Can Still Contact Aids
There is a false picture being painted in the media globally about the effectiveness of condom in checking the spread of the dreaded disease called HIV/AIDS. This has led many youths and even adults into promiscuity, with the belief that with condom in their pockets, they are safe from HIV/AIDS, which is the mother of all sexually transmitted diseases. People are now going into sexual immorality with reckless abandon, not knowing that condom is not 100% guarantee for the prevention of this disease. The truth is that condoms are not the key for the prevention of AIDS.
The only solution to this scourge is total abstinence, or being faithful to your partner. Also, total avoidance of unscreened blood during transfusion, avoiding the use of unsterilized syringe and sharp objects should not be negotiated if we want to be free from HIV/AIDS. People should not use the same tooth brush, nail cutter, the same brassier or even the same pant. People should be careful about the type of toilet system they use. These are, to the best of my knowledge, the best way to spread the message of HIV/AIDS prevention, and not to be advertising condom. Even the manufacturers of these condoms have equally affirmed that the use of condoms during sexual intercourse is not a full guarantee against the infections of Read the rest of this entry »
Tags: hiv aids prevention, hiv and aids