I AM Breaking the Silence =
against HIV and AIDS in the Caribbean
What I should know about HIV and AIDS?
- Human immunodeficiency virus (HIV ) causes infections in humans. It passes from one person to another through semen, vaginal fluid, blood or breast milk.
- The most common way to get infected with HIV is through unprotected sexual intercourse.
- HIV can also be transmitted (passed to another person) through injection needles or blades that have already been used on another person with HIV.
- Babies can get infected in the womb, during birth or through the breast milk if their mother has the virus. This does not happen every time, so the baby of an HIV positive mother might be HIV negative or HIV positive
- There are two types of HIV, called HIV-1 and HIV-2. Most people have just one type but some have both.
- A person usually does not know that he or she is infected with HIV until a special blood test is done. If the HIV test shows that the virus is present, a person is said to be HIV-positive.
- At first, HIV infection does not make a person very ill. He or she may continue to have a healthy life for some months or many years.
- After some time, a person with HIV may start to lose a lot of weight, feel very tired and be unable to do all their usual daily activities. Illnesses also start to happen, especially infections such as tuberculosis (TB), herpes zoster (shingles) and other skin or chest infections. These are called opportunistic infections – the effect of HIV on the immune system provides opportunities for these infections to attack.
- If people with AIDS do not get treatment, they will gradually become very ill and are likely to die.
- These diseases can also happen to people who are HIV-negative, but they are much more common and more dangerous when they happen to someone who has HIV. In an HIV-positive person, they are known as acquired immune deficiency syndrome ( AIDS). They show that a person’s immune system has become weak and cannot repair or defend the body in the usual ways that keep humans healthy.
What I should know about the needs of a person with HIV
- A person with HIV has a right to a full range of care, support, treatment and prevention, like any other person. This means having help with any medical problems and also support for their psychosocial and economic needs and overall well-being.
- Care, support and treatment for people with HIV should be comprehensive. This means that a variety of people and organisations – such as family, doctor, community and workplace – must all play their part and work together to provide a ‘continuum’ of care and prevention.
I should know about what Treatment is possible for a person with HIV
- A person with HIV can get different kinds of treatment, both for the illnesses caused by HIV and for fighting the virus itself.
- The simplest treatment is to make sure that a person with HIV can always get good food and clean water, as well as good basic care when they are ill. People with HIV need more protein and vitamins in their food than other people. This means having meat, beans, fish and plenty of vegetables and fruit.
- A person with HIV also needs to have good medical treatment for opportunistic illnesses such as TB, skin or chest infections. Prompt treatment for these illnesses can help the immune system to stay stronger for a longer time.
- HIV infection itself can be treated with new drugs. They are called antiretrovirals (ARVs). They reduce the effects of the virus and enable a person to become healthy again but they do not completely cure HIV infection. A person with HIV who gets ARV treatment can live a much longer and healthier life.
- Some medicines for opportunistic infections are cheap and easy to use. They are often provided through home based care, or at clinics or hospitals.
- ARVs and some other medicines are more expensive or difficult to use. They might be provided through special clinics and the person with HIV might need special support to use them.
Research courtesy the International HIV AIDS Alliance
Supporting Community Action in Developing Countries
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