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This WAR on HIV must be won by education & awareness!meta name="verify-v1" content="8ktdbbGAdb3n4jHjRYLPczPlimTSL9scbG6CfQId8+w=" />

Back to the soo,To see what i can do

This WAR on HIV must be won by education & awareness!So i went up too the soo for xmas to visit mom & claude.I never seen her take a bath or shower & when i tried to talk to claude about it he just brushed me off.My mom wont say when she has peed herself & so sits in a pissy diaper all day.zShe can no longer walk since being diagnoces with diabetis & her health has gone downhill fast.Claude says he is doing his best & he is trying ,but it isnt good enough as my mom has to have a bath or shower at least 1 week!!& she isnt even getting this,I asume she is just washed down with a cloth & water as she is laying on the bed.i am heading back up in 2 weeks to help claude out.All my rtelatives are freaking out & its pissing claude off so he rants & raves to my mom who can only sit & feel herself slip away,pride & dignity erased long ago.the whole situation is depressing but must be addressed,so i am trying to arrange dr. apt for my methadone ecti dont mind sleeping on the couch to help my mom out at a tinme when shge needs all her boys,only myself is rising to meet this challenge.Oh my Aunt wants me to go up as well,but she would also like to see my mom in a home down in kingston,At least she would be looked after in a proper manner-baths & showers are the two things that stand out most in my mind.I do not understand why claude hasnt taken mom out to the mall as its only down the street.she need sfresh air now & then as well.her mind needs to be working ,to tyry & regain all she has lost yet again for the 4 time!!!My mom has been through a life time of pain & suffering,& she deserves to be treated with alot more respect then what she is getting now,claude is trying but i do not think he can do it alone & therefore i am going back to the soo to see what i can do.I wish all my fellow HIV-AIDS WARRIORS ALL THE LOVE & HAPPINESS WITH PEACE !THANKS TO JEHOVA GOD & HIS SON JESUS CHRIST MY LORD & SAVIOUR & THE KING OF MAN, AMEN~!

Buried Aborted Fetis's Found in India states

This WAR on HIV must be won by education & awareness!Female foetuses found buried in Indian states
Aborted female foetuses continue to be unearthed in Orissa’s Nayagarh district and near Buldana in Maharashtra, displaying utter disregard for the Pre-Conception and Pre-Natal Diagnostic Tests Act, 1992, aimed at criminalising sex-selective abortions

Less than a fortnight after the remains of seven female foetuses were first discovered in Orissa’s Nayagarh district, a full-scale search conducted by local police has unearthed over 132 polythene bags with medical waste, aborted foetuses and newborns. Three foetuses were also found in a drain in Golanthara village in Ganjam district.

“We have dug the pit (used by a nursing home to dump medical waste) and recovered small bones and other body parts that had mixed with the soil. We will be sending those for forensic tests to Bhubaneswar,” Nayagarh Superintendent of Police Rajesh Kumar said.

The forensic analysis will be done at the MKCG Medical College Hospital; the results are expected later this week.

A day earlier, on July 22, a search by local authorities led to the discovery of 30 female foetuses at the same site near Nabaghanpur village. In all, more than 30 female foetuses have been recovered so far in Nayagarh district.

The police have taken two people into custody and detained one in connection with the incident. Sabita Sahu (48), wife of a government doctor who runs Krishna Clinic, was also arrested.

The district police carried out raids on six nursing homes that have ultrasound facilities that are often used to determine the gender of the foetus. Waste sites are also being examined.

Orissa’s Chief Minister Naveen Patnaik has ordered a crime branch inquiry into the incident.

Meanwhile, the Indian government has sought a report from the Orissa government over these shocking discoveries and asked the state to ensure strict implementation of the Pre-Conception and Pre-Natal Diagnostic Tests (PCPNDT) Act, 1992.

Women and Child Development Secretary Deepa Jain Singh has written to the chief secretary of Orissa asking that those found guilty of foeticide or infanticide in Nayagarh be booked and strict action taken against them.

The letter stresses the need to create awareness about female foeticide and inform people about its illegality.

The National Commission for Women (NCW) has also initiated an inquiry into the issue. A three-member committee, headed by commission member Manju Hembrom, will visit Nayagarh on July 26 to investigate the matter. “We will visit the clinic near where the foetuses were found. We will also talk to the state administration and the police,” says Hembrom.

The initial discovery of seven female foetuses in Nayagarh, on July 14, is what tipped the authorities off to the larger horror that has now been unearthed in the area. A 12-year-old boy stumbled upon some blood-stained polythene bags near Duburi hills close to Ramachandiprasad village, a few kilometres from the district headquarter town of Nayagarh.

After the incident was widely reported on television and in the newspapers, the Nayagarh police took action and conducted raids at several nursing homes in the town.

A fact-finding team from Bhubaneswar that visited Nayagarh on July 16 observed that, according to local people, foeticide was a regular phenomenon in the area. The team has demanded that unlicensed nursing homes and ultrasound clinics be closed down and relevant action be taken against them.

The fact-finding team that comprised child rights and health activists also demanded a crime branch probe into the episode alleging that female foeticide in Nayagarh appeared to be the outcome of an alleged nexus between health officials, nursing homes and the local administration.

People point out that there are 12 nursing homes with sex-determination facilities in the area, but only one of them is registered. According to the 2001 census, the sex ratio in Orissa is 972 females per 1,000 males. But in Nayagarh, it is 939 females per 1,000 males -- the lowest in the state. Nayagarh also has the lowest child sex (0-6 years) ratio in Orissa, with 901 girls for every 1,000 boys.

However, surveys indicate that the number of girl-children is on the decline in other parts of the state as well. A study by the School of Women’s Studies, Utkal University, reveals that 13 out of the state’s 30 districts have witnessed a declining sex ratio over the past century. Most districts like Jagatsinghpur, Dhenkanal, Khurda and Puri are in the highly literate and economically prosperous coastal belt. By contrast, tribal districts like Nabarangpur (1,002), Koraput (993), Kalahandi and Malkangiri (990 each) have a high number of girl-children.

In a related development, 15 foetuses were found at a dumping site 15 km from Buldana town in Maharashtra. The discovery was made after locals called the police complaining of a foul smell emanating from a dustbin. Five female foetuses were found in the bin, while others were unearthed elsewhere in the area.

Although a case has been registered, no arrests have been made so far.

sudbury media neglects World Aids Day in SUDBURY

This WAR on HIV must be won by education & awareness!
To Whom It May Concern:

Re: World Aids Day

I have recently returned to Sudbury after over 35 years in the big ugly city. For the most part it has been a positive experience. Sudburians have a lot to be proud. The reclamation of the environment and a thriving arts community to name a couple but that is not the reason for this letter.
Recently World AIDS Day was celebrated and it was my first in Sudbury. I was diagnosed with HIV almost 20 years ago and have been probably living with the virus for over 30 years so I am quite familiar with the issues concerning AIDS. AIDS was covered in the national media quite well and even some of the TV programming included AIDS movies. The local media chose to ignore it. Why and how this occurred is beyond me. How could you not cover the number one health issue of this century. This decision whether made consciously or not is negligent to say the least and bordering on criminal. Ignorance, fear and hatred have fueled the spread of this disease and your decision to ignore it locally contributes to this.
Recently I had the honour to participate in a local AIDS vigil. For those who are not familiar with these types of ceremonies they are a gathering of people to celebrate the lives of those who have died and those who are affected by the disease. People gather and share there stories. One story that I found rather poignant was a man like myself who had returned to Sudbury from New York and he related many stories of his advocacy work in New York. Part of his stories included one of Sudbury. He related how the Handi Transit bus drivers were reluctant to drive him because of the HIV. I could not believe this kind of ignorance still existed . This one story only demonstrates the need for education and how the media has to play an important role in the education of our community. We have come a long way from when dentists, funeral homes and home care wouldn’t accept HIV clients but really how far when this kind of ignorance still exists.

I would just like to close with this thought during the Holiday Season and when we are sitting down with our families and enjoying our meals perhaps we could give a prayer or two for the millions of people who still suffer from stigma and discrimination due to this insidious disease.

Perplexed PHA

David DuBois
CRAZY WORLD WE LIVE IN-MILLIONS DIEING IN AFRICA BECAUSE THEY CANNOT ACCESS HAART MEDS-THE USA INVADING COUNTRY'S BASED ON LIE'S & FALSEHOODS?END TIMES FER SURE!!!

Strategy in Controlling HIV-AIDS-

This WAR on HIV must be won by education & awareness!Strategy in controlling HIV infection
LAST weekend, prominent figures commented on the theme of leadership in the fight against HIV/ AIDS. Apart from discussing leadership in institutions such as family, community and state, these people gave absolutely no consideration to the area of personal leadership.
Indeed, the stalemate in the strategies used to minimise the spread of HIV infection is the failure to deal with the issue at the personal level. Personal leadership gives the motivation for behaviour change – the ability of the person to decide changes.
Behaviour change deals with the realm of psychology, and less to do with sociology and medicine. And if the AIDS Council is serious about dealing with the issue of leadership in preventing the spread, it should employ psychologists, and not only sociologists and medical experts, to deal with aspect of personal leadership.
Personal leadership is intrinsic to the idea of lust management. In any strategy that we devise, the creation of a mindset is significant. Likewise, in dealing with HIV prevention, the creation of an appropriate mindset is imperative – a more positive message than the one propagated that raises fear, discrimination and ostracising, and destroys long-held social and moral values.
Hence, I have found the description of AIDS given by an African nurse very helpful for this discussion. Her view that AIDS is a “chronic but a manageable disease” should be propagated as a new mindset rather than that it is “contagious and deadly”.
The mindset itself would create a shift in paradigm, from understanding the spread as behavioural rather than medicinal. There are many chronic diseases affecting human beings, however, the ability for the HIV to register high infection rate depends heavily on people’s attitude and behaviour their own sexuality.
There are two areas where personal leadership and management are needed in dealing with the epidemic that is chronic but manageable.
First, the manner of dealing with prevention of the spread is through lust management. Thus far, the strategies used in AIDS prevention is appropriate but it only deals with the surface levels.
The ABC method will have no impact if lust management is not considered as a strategy dealing with the issue at the deeper level. At the outset, however, we should also admit that despite the attempts of the ABC method in reducing the rate of infections, statistics speak otherwise.
This was the very concern raised by Romanus Pakure, the acting director of the National AIDS Council secretariat, who feels that despite the efforts put in place, the infection rate never decreases. We can infer that HIV/AIDS advocates only deal with the surface levels, using propaganda mindset that has been predominantly negative.
Despite the intervention of the ABC method, other exterior factors may have contributed to its ineffectiveness. There are no statistics available to the public on how effective the ABC methods are.
However, if there is still an increase in the level of infection, we may then look at other factors that may overpower and render those approach ineffective.
The issue of poverty, urban migration, the collapse of authority and social order, delinquent behaviours, consumer attraction and a host of other things may devastate the HIV response. The Government and donor agencies should employ sociologists to look at the bigger social issues, rather than the narrow concentration on the ABC method.
Lust management will be able to deal with both the interior motivation and the exterior attraction regarding the use and abuse of one’s sexuality. To do that, we need personal empowerment and leadership.
Human sexuality is such a torrent and wild force that at times, it blinds or overwhelms any good human sense. Sexual energy is just like aggressive energy; once finding its prey, common sense evaporates.
The management of these wild and blind forces is necessary in the strategies dealing the HIV prevention. People need to deal with sexual energy at its roots. Just like anger management, it is imperative that sexually-active people should undergo training and therapy on personal leadership and lust management. It is not only content knowledge, but a process leading to a change in sexual behaviour.
People in position of authority think that HIV infection can be controlled by doing awareness and knowledge dissemination are far from right. Producing school syllabus and information pamphlet will make no difference, be-cause they deal with content knowledge.
Without giving the people the tools to work with and manage the forces of lust, there is no way of reducing the infection rate. The concept we are advocating is not only content information on prevention, but the process towards prevention itself.
Traditionally, our tumbunas were smarter than all the minds in the AIDS business. With less content knowledge, the tumbunas knew how to deal with and direct powerful energies such as aggression and sexuality into outlets and where able to channel those forces.
Those channels were ritual outlets, powerful myths and prohibition that formed a formidable unit in unleashing and directing sexual energies for the good of society. Those tumbunas will be laughing at all the follies and blunders that prevailed in HIV prevention strategies.
Getting a little knowledge and experience from the tumbunas and reading into depth psychology would be a real starting-point to develop a strategy in lust management. It is not only a programme or strategy to combat AIDS, but a strategy to control rape, incest, child sexual abuse, prostitution and pornography.
The second area deals with managing the chronic disease caused by this virus. Medically, with the availability of anti-retroviral (ARV) drugs, the disease could be controlled and help people live longer, with the resolution that they be faithful in taking the drug.
Despite the side effects, ARV drugs are the only means of giving hope to people living with HIV/ AIDS. Also another useful manner of managing that chronic illness is for those contacted to cultivate a positive attitude to life which has shown to prolong life – 20 years the most.
We can also affirm that love, beauty, good and truth, if cultivated to its true essence can unleash super-conscious energies that can aid the chronic management of AIDS. Those energies can work along with ARV drugs for supporting our conviction that AIDS is no longer contagious and deadly but rather chronic and manageable.
We can all work and support each other knowing that AIDS is just like any other disease confronting us. A sympathetic understanding with patience, as well as employing the right strategies will eventually lead to total eradication of this virus.

CRYSTAL METH & HIV=THE PERFECT STORM-REPOSTED DUE TO AVELANCH!

This WAR on HIV must be won by education & awareness! still wait for a useful marker of drug effectiveness for smoking cessation.

By Steven Dubovsky, MD

November 19, 2007

Covering: Lee AM et al. Biol Psychiatry 2007 Sep 15; 62:635

Free Full-Text Article

Feature

Crystal Meth and HIV/AIDS: The Perfect Storm?
Methamphetamine use is already influencing the HIV/AIDS epidemic in the U.S. and could have an even greater impact in coming years.


Crystal methamphetamine (CM) is an extremely addictive stimulant that increases sexual arousal while reducing inhibition and judgment. Its use is associated with a range of high-risk sexual behaviors that increase the likelihood of acquiring or transmitting HIV. Given the relatively high prevalence of CM use among people living with HIV and among men who have sex with men (MSM), there is great concern that this drug is fueling the HIV epidemic. Equally worrisome are the effects that CM use can have on the prognosis and overall health of HIV-infected patients.

Background
Known by various street names (most commonly, "ice" and "glass"), CM can be smoked, snorted, injected, swallowed, or inserted into the rectum. Compared with other illegal drugs, CM is inexpensive, readily available, and provides a stronger, longer-lasting "high" (8–24 hours).1 Prevalence of use in the U.S. is difficult to pinpoint, but estimates of past-year use from national cross-sectional surveys range from 1.5% to 2.8% among young adults.2 Estimates of past-year use are even higher among MSM — 9.7%, according to one San Francisco study (ACC Sep 28 2005)3 — in part because the drug is now deeply embedded in the MSM "circuit party"culture.4

Commonly cited reasons for using CM, aside from peer pressure, are increased sexual sensitization, mood enhancement, and disinhibition. However, the drug is also used to provide an escape from stress, depression, alienation, and loneliness, all of which are common among people living with HIV. Furthermore, many HIV-infected MSM report using CM as a way to deal with their illness or with homophobia or prejudice.4,5 Consequently, CM use is highly prevalent among people living with HIV. In a San Francisco study, 19% to 39% of HIV-infected people reported using CM during the previous year.6 This high prevalence is alarming because CM use can increase the risk for HIV transmission and also contribute to poorer health outcomes in HIV-infected users.

Methamphetamine Use and HIV Transmission
CM use increases the risk for HIV transmission and acquisition in a number of ways.

First, the drug lowers sexual inhibitions, impairs judgment, and provides the necessary energy and confidence to engage in sexual activity for long periods of time. As a result, methamphetamine users are more likely than nonusers to engage in unprotected anal sex and to have sex with injection drug users, HIV-positive partners, and those of unknown HIV status; they also tend to report a greater number of sex partners and to have a history of other sexually transmitted diseases (STDs).3,7,8

Second, CM use is a well-documented cause of erectile dysfunction, which can lead users to engage in even higher-risk sexual activities. For example, users who cannot sustain an erection may switch to receptive anal sex ("bottoming"), which carries a higher risk of HIV acquisition than does insertive anal sex. Alternatively, users may take erectile-dysfunction drugs, and the combination of these with CM can lead to longer, more-aggressive periods of sex, potentially resulting in condom breaks or mucosal tears, which can cause bleeding and increased risk of HIV transmission.

Third, CM causes mucosal dryness, which increases the risk for tissue tears. Additional damage to rectal tissues can occur when CM is inserted into the rectum ("keistering," "booty bumping").

Finally, when CM is injected, needle sharing can greatly enhance transmission of HIV and hepatitis viruses.

Numerous cross-sectional studies have demonstrated an association between CM use and increased risk for HIV infection, but only a few studies have prospectively assessed seroincidence. In the largest of these, the Multicenter AIDS Cohort Study, the relative risk for HIV seroconversion was 1.5 among CM users compared with nonusers and was even higher (3.1) among men who used both methamphetamine and poppers (ACC Apr 13 2007).9

Methamphetamine Use and Progression of HIV Disease
In addition to facilitating HIV transmission, CM use is associated with detrimental behavior changes that can affect the prognosis and overall health of people living with HIV. For instance, current methamphetamine use decreases adherence to HIV treatment and medical follow-up.10 Frequent CM use has also been associated with increased risk for antiretroviral resistance, particularly to NNRTIs, with the obvious implications for treatment and transmission risk.11 For example, CM use is thought to have contributed to the acquisition of triple-class–resistant virus by the New York City patient described in 2005 (ACC Sep 1 2006).12 In addition, some patients use CM to treat HIV-associated symptoms, such as fatigue, instead of seeing a physician. Such self-medication may lead to underdiagnosis and undertreatme nt of HIV and to important complications such as anemia and hypogonadism.5,10

CM use may also influence progression and complications of HIV disease more directly. For example, animal studies have shown that CM can impair the immune system13 and increase HIV replication,14 and human studies suggests that it can accelerate the progress of HIV-related dementia.15

Other Consequences of Methamphetamine Use
Other consequences of CM use that are particularly harmful to HIV-infected patients include deterioration of the teeth and gums (a result of dry mouth and grinding of the teeth), reduced appetite, poor eating habits, and weight loss. Furthermore, many users "crash" after using CM for several days straight and are left with little energy and the very feelings they were trying to avoid — depression and isolation.

Other adverse effects of CM use include intense cravings for CM when not taking it; tachyphylaxis; increased risk for heart attack and stroke (because of increases in blood pressure, heart rate, and body temperature); impaired memory, reasoning, and ability to process information; and psychological problems, such as depression, psychosis, aggressive behavior, hallucinations, and paranoia. Chronic use can also cause skin lesions and damage the cardiovascular system, lungs, liver, muscles, and nerve cells in the brain.

Although methamphetamine is not known to affect HIV medications, some PIs increase absorption and decrease metabolism of CM, leading to severe reactions or overdosing.16,17

Preventing and Treating Methamphetamine Addiction
Prevention of methamphetamine use is hampered by a relative paucity of epidemiologic data that would enable us to assess the magnitude of the current problem adequately and to evaluate the efficacy of various interventions. Despite federal efforts to restrict pseudoepinephrine imports and a nationwide decline in small methamphetamine laboratories, the drug continues to be widely available. A report from the National Drug Intelligence Center suggests that Mexican drug traders have relocated their labs from the U.S. to Mexico and have expanded distribution to the midwestern and eastern U.S., underscoring the difficulties of drug enforcement in the era of global trade.18 Developing methamphetamine prevention "task forces" (involving community members and representatives from at-risk groups, STD treatment centers, health departments, and law enforcement) is a reasonable approach, despite a lack of efficacy data.19 Educat ional campaigns should be tailored to specific target populations, and care should be taken to help ensure that such campaigns do not increase cravings in CM-addicted patients.20

Given the high prevalence and dire consequences of CM use among HIV-infected patients, clinicians should be sure to ask patients about past or current use. Drug testing is recommended for all patients who have a history of, or are suspected of, using CM.

Few data are available to recommend any one method of methamphetamine treatment over another.21 Cognitive behavior-based interventions (Matrix Model), 12-step programs, drug testing, and contingency management interventions have been used by different treatment centers, with varying degrees of success. Nevertheless, treatment of CM addiction can be successful in decreasing risky sexual behaviors and should be an integral part of any HIV prevention effort.21,22

Conclusion
All current data underscore the potential of methamphetamine to substantially worsen the current HIV epidemic, with some studies indicating that this potential is already being realized. Methamphetamine use is an important public health problem and is associated with risky sexual behavior; increased rates of transmission of HIV, other STDs, and hepatitis; serious adverse events; and poor adherence to antiretroviral treatment. Prevention efforts not only must encompass traditional education and awareness campaigns but also will require local, national, and international policy changes, including allocation of appropriate resources and funding. Comparative trials of different treatment approaches are needed, as are better evidence-based protocols for treatment.

ETHICAL CONCERNS HOLDING UP HIV EFFORTS

This WAR on HIV must be won by education & awareness!HIV efforts in Africa stymied by ethics
NDORI, Kenya (UPI) -- Health officials praise contraceptives and anti-retroviral drugs in Africa as curtailing the spread of the disease, but ethical concerns are delaying funding.

Humanitarian health officials said programs distributing anti-retroviral drugs to pregnant women in African prevented more than 100,000 cases of pediatric HIV between 1999 and 2006, while contraception prevented 173,000 such cases, The Washington Post reported Sunday.

Political and financial rhetoric aimed at addressing the HIV epidemic in Africa does not translate to actual funding as the issue is hung up over the debate over birth control.

Officials say improving the availability of birth control in Africa could save tens of thousands of lives more effectively and less expensive than anti-retroviral drugs.

The U.S. Agency for International Development noted a reversal in the once "spectacular decline" in fertility rates in Kenya due to international funding for contraceptives and education awareness.

The support for such measures began to drop in 1996 when the evangelical Christian movement gained influence in the Republican Party and again in 2003 when the Bush administration refused to support HIV programs that advocated birth control.

A United Nations estimate says 90 percent of the 2.5 million childhood cases of HIV infection are in sub-Saharan Africa.

I reposted this & didnt include the Answers-would U sleep with someone that was HIV+?

This WAR on HIV must be won by education & awareness!Would you sleep with someone who is HIV Positive?
By: Rootzgirl

Wow, you sure didn't pull any punches when it came to giving your opinions on the gay issue. Love that! Well, I have another hard question for you...well maybe it's not that hard but I still want to know your opinions on it.

This story I am about to tell you is true and it's what prompted me to throw it out to you. This guy met a woman who had HIV yet he became
involved with her, married her and she had a child for him. The baby wasn't infected because science has afforded HIV Positive people with solutions to the problem of mother to child transmission.

The man soon found out that he was carrying the disease too because he did not protect himself carefully.

The woman has since died and the man is left taking care of the baby, but it's just a matter of time before he too succumbs to the disease.

Now the question I want to through out to guys is, "could you love a woman/man like that? Knowing the condition of the person, could you just blindly say to hell with it and have unprotected sex?

Then again, why bring an innocent life into a mix like that?" Yeah, if you want to take the chance and gamble with your lives, do you think it is fair to bring an innocent life into a situation like this...leaving that child as an early orphan?

Yeah, I know I am throwing a bunch of questions at you, but to tell the truth, ever since the situation came to my attention I have been pondering it, wondering why in the world would someone do that.

Yup, I can understand if you were along with the person before you found out about the AIDS situation, if you chose to stay with that person still, more power to you. But to blindly see a pit and jump...well that one takes the cake.

So my peeps, talk to me, what would you do in a situation like this, and do you think that love truly conquers all? I am gonna be reading all your comments cause to tell the truth...I am still mystified.
I am a HIV+ male seeking female for friendship life & love.If your a special,smart,single & female...email me with your picture and a brief history of yerself too jamesgsud@hotmail.com or try joeniceguy2005@yahoo.ca GODBLESS ALL HIV+ WARRIORS WITH PEACE ,LOVE & HAPPINESS ALL OF THEIR DAYS!!!

MALE CANADIAN SEEKS FEMALE FOR FRIENDSHIP,LIFE ,LAUGHTER & LOVE@!

This WAR on HIV must be won by education & awareness!YA SO I AM SEARCHING FOR A SPECIAL WOMAN,AS I HAVE HIV SINCE 2001 &
DRS SAY I AM STILL TOO HEALTHY TO START HAART & MY HEP-C HAS CURED
ITSELF!!!I AM 44 BUT LOOK 33 & WITH THE RIGHT WOMAN FEEL 22!!!SEND
PICTURE AND SHORT NOTE ON YOURSELF TO jamesg...@hotmail.com or try
joeniceguy2...@yahoo.ca hope to hear from U asap!!!like
sunsets,walks ,cuddleing,romance & safe sex!!!!!

COMBAT HIV STIGMA -HIV WARRIORS CREATE FRONT LINES TODAY!!

This WAR on HIV must be won by education & awareness!Combat HIV stigma
4 Dec 2007, 0001 hrs IST,Subhadra Menon
Print Save EMail Write to Editor
Global AIDS numbers have dropped dramatically, but that is only half the battle won. Stigma towards HIV-positive people needs to be countered if the threat of AIDS is to be overcome.

An Indian soldier discovers he is HIV-positive and is forced to deal with the termination of his services. He must now move the courts for justice - a burden in itself. An HIV-positive pregnant woman from West Bengal has a sticker plastered on her forehead by hospital staff, is isolated in the ward and refused the urgent medical attention she needed. A couple is stoned, branded outcast by the only community they know simply because they are HIV-positive. A HIV-positive woman in Kolkata aborts her own foetus because hospital staff refuse to assist her. This intense stigma can be painful to endure.

The good news is that the number of people contracting HIV infection is dropping, worldwide. A few days ago, UNAIDS, releasing its AIDS Epidemic Update for 2007, said new data show global HIV prevalence (the percentage of people living with HIV) has levelled off and the number of new infections has fallen, in part as a result of the impact of HIV programmes. The new estimate of 2.47 million persons in India living with HIV (0.36 per cent of the adult population) released through the National Family Health Survey-III (NFHS-III) is less than half the official estimate for the previous year.

India now comes third among nations with the largest number of people living with HIV. The optimistic arithmetic apart, the experiences of ordinary people living with HIV tell another story. Stigma and not surveillance, is the biggest problem.

A 15-year-old boy from Ahmedabad committed suicide to escape the stigma piled on because his parents, both vegetable sellers, were HIV-positive. Two little children in Kerala roused a nation’s feelings when their grandfather stood up and fought against their expulsion from school because they were HIV-positive. In the 24 Parganas district of West Bengal, an HIV-positive child’s mother was forced to accept a refund of his school fees.

Stigma is hard to track and its impact even harder to measure. NFHS-III has generated data on stigma by including surveys on HIV/AIDS know-ledge, attitudes and behaviour. Overall acceptance measured through indicators like willingness to care for a positive person or buy vegetables from a positive person, or have a teacher who is positive continue teaching in the school is low - 34 per cent for women and 37 per cent for men. This corroborates a study by International Labour Organisation which says that two-thirds of positive persons face discrimination. The World Bank points to a study in India that found how 34 per cent of students, faculty and technical staff of the public health services would not associate with people living with HIV and AIDS.

Those vulnerable to and experiencing social stigma and discrimination will be puzzled if they were told that awareness and knowledge about HIV/AIDS is higher than before. Between 1998-1999 and 2005-2006, knowledge of AIDS in women (earlier rounds of the NFHS did not interview men) went up by 17 per cent (from 40 per cent to 57 per cent). But NFHS-III has also found how only 30 per cent of women with no education have heard about HIV/AIDS. Almost two-thirds of women and half of men still believe that a mosquito bite can transmit HIV infection. Awareness is not translating into tolerance or a shedding of stigma.

Protection against HIV and preventing its spread is certainly a key message, but protection using stigma and alienation will go nowhere. It is always challenging to fight for legislation and better policy outcomes. Kerala has a law against discrimination of HIV-positive children in schools. But laws and policies cannot be substitutes for a humane approach