How much do you know about HIV/AIDS? | Take our quiz and find out! | Links | Information on HIV PREVENTION

How much do you know about HIV/AIDS? | Take our quiz and find out! |

Links | Information on HIV Prevention | Testing | Treatment

To prevent the transmission of HIV, the most important thing is awareness, i.e. everyone, even you is susceptible. NO one is immune. HIV/AIDS is no respecter of age , persons , sex, etc. It is a deadly disease for which there is no cure; therefore the best remedy to this problem is prevention.
Sometimes treatment is prevention
•Treating STD’s can reduce the risk of acquiring HIV sexually
• Transmission to infants can be prevented by providing anti-retroviral drugs to HIV-positive-pregnant womenFor HIV-positive individuals
• First, and most importantly, tell anyone you’re going to have sex with that you have HIV
• If you have sex, use a new latex condom or other latex barrier every time, even if your partner is also HIV-positive
• With condoms use a water-based lubricant. Do not use baby oil or other oil-based lubricants because they may cause the condom to break.
• Don’t share sex toys.
• Don’t share needles or drug works.
• Tell anyone you’ve had sex with that you have HIV.
• Don’t donate blood, plasma, or organs.
• Don’t share toothbrushes or razors.

For pregnant & HIV-positive women
If you are pregnant, you can take anti-retrovirals to reduce the chance of transmission to your baby. Because HIV can be transmitted through breast milk, don’t breast-feed your baby.

For women who have sex with women
• Although little research has been done in this area, female-to-female sexual contact is a possible way to become infected with HIV.
• Oral or vaginal exposure to vaginal secretions and menstrual blood are potentially infectious.
• Use a dental dam or other protective barrier for oral sex.
• Don’t share sex toys.

For men who have sex with men
• Always use a new latex condom with a water-based lubricant during sex.
• Unprotected anal sex is dangerous, especially if the relationship between you and your partner is not mutually exclusive.
• Don’t share sex toys.

For heterosexual sex
• Use a new latex condom for each act of vaginal or anal sex. Use only water-based lubricants. For oral sex use a new condom or other protective barrier.
• The female condom provides safe and effective protection against HIV and STD’s and gives women greater control over their ability to protect themselves without having to rely on male willingness to use a condom.
• Women who have sex with men have to rely on their own skills and knowledge regarding condom use and their ability to convince their partners to use condoms.
• Both partners have a responsibility to have protected sex.
• Don’t share sex toys.

For injection drug users
• Seek treatment as soon as possible.
• Always use sterile injection equipment.
• Never share needles, syringes, and other injection equipment.
• Using syringes cleaned with bleach is not as safe as using new sterile syringes.
• Be sure all equipment and supplies used (cotton, water, the drug itself) are not contaminated.

• Why get tested?
• Getting tested on Campus
• Getting tested off campus
• From testing to results (the process)
• The Importance of Counseling
• What if I’m positive?

Why get tested?

You’ve determined your risk and knowledge of your status will help you in your personal stance against HIV. The length of time between infection and development of symptoms varies. The latent period can be anywhere from 1-3 moths to ten years in the absence of therapy. Knowing your status is of great importance as you may be able to be evaluated for treatment before symptoms appear and also enable you to help prevent spread to others.
Getting Tested on Campus
So you’ve decided that you want to take the test. What next? Where do you go, who do you talk to…. What if you’re positive…what will happen. All these things are probably flying about in your mind and more! First things first. Where to go.

On campus students and staff can get tested at the Centre for HIV/AIDS Research, Education and Services (CHARES) or the University Health Centre. Both places offer testing free of charge and results are obtained in a month.

CHARES ( 977-6921)
Before getting tested at CHARES, Student/Staff will be seen by a social worker for pre-test counselling. Thereafter the person will be sent to the blood bank at the University Hospital of the West Indies with all necessary documentation for the test to be done. After a period of a month, results will be sent back to CHARES, and during a post- test counselling session the result of the test will be disclosed.

University Health Centre ( 927-2520, EXT 2270,2370)
A similar process exists at the Health Centre. In this case, a physician will first see students take off the blood for the test and refer the student for counselling. Result will be returned after a period of a month and released during a post -test counselling session. (This is sort of what happens at the health centre. I get the impression though that students are not necessarily sent for counselling, something we may want to clear up with the Health centre in the interest of providing standard care across campus and not losing students. Another health centre issue is the fact that students just walking in wanting to do the test will have to pay to do the test but those referred by doctors do not.)

Getting tested off Campus (back to top)

Testing can be done at various off-campus sites, which are listed below and through the offices of private physicians. The cost of the test and the time taken to receive the results varies depending on location.
Some places that do the test off campus are:
AIDS Support (JAS)
Kingston Montego Bay Ocho Rios
928-2345 952-7236 974-7236
Comprehensive Health Centre
922-2095,924-9673
55 Slipe Pen Rd., Kgn 5.
Or you can call the HIV/AIDS Helpline for more information.
967-3830, 967-3764, 1-888-991-4444

From Test to Result (back to top)

How often do I need to be tested?
Test used to detect HIV in the blood look for the presence of Antibodies to the virus. Therefore you should wait for a reasonable period of time after your suspected exposure to the virus before getting tested. Most people develop detectable antibodies after a three-month period. In rare cases development of antibodies can take up to six months.
During this period, the famous window period, the test will not pick up any antibody in the blood and yield a negative result even though the virus may be present.
Therefore, it is recommended that testing take place for up to six months after last possible exposure.
During this six-month period it is important to protect yourself and others from exposure to the virus.Length of time for results
Results from the commonly used ELISA test are normally available 1-2 weeks after the test is performed. There are fairly new rapid tests available for screening that produces quick results usually within 5-30 minutes after taking the test. In general, time taken to get results back varies depending on the method of testing done in the lab…ASK.
Accuracy of results
Tests are 99% accurate. Tests used are ELISA and Western Blot. The ELISA or another more rapid test is usually done first on all samples and those that test positive are then confirmed using the more specific Western Blot method.

The Importance of Counselling (back to top)

Counsellors help you to identify your risk factors, and in finding little ways to change your behaviour. They are good listeners and are very helpful in putting you in contact with various resources and support groups.
They generally help you through the process, whatever the outcome.
You have a choice….Go in ….Get Tested!!

What if I’m positive (back to top)

A positive result enables you to seek early treatment. Your doctor will access the extent to which the disease has progressed and provide you with information to keep yourself healthy and thus delay further disease progression. He will also make you aware of various treatment options to limit further replication of the virus in the blood stream. The treatment does not provide a cure but makes replication of the virus difficult.
If you positive it also allows you the opportunity to protect others from exposure to the virus by making the necessary lifestyle changes. It also provides you the opportunity to protect yourself from other people who might be ill. Being HIV positive means that you have a weakened immune system and that you are now more susceptible to illnesses.

TREATMENT OF HIV(back to top)

Whether you’re infected or not, HIV is a part of your life. We, as members of the Cariform community are either infected or affected by this disease. Similarly we are part of the solution and how we respond to the epidemic in our daily lives is a very crucial part of the treatment of HIV disease.

HIV disease and AIDS is as much a social, political, cultural, mental, economic affliction as it is physical. The virus affects all realms of human existence. While we treat the physical by ensuring good health habits i.e regular exercise, balanced diet (link to HIV and Nutrition site we could use the book in the HARP library), regular check ups, and use of antiretroviral and antibiotics where appropriate, we also have to deal with other aspects of HIV disease and AIDS. (For more detailed information re treatment of HIV disease see link)

How are you helping your community deal with its seropositivity? People living with HIV disease and their families are part of our little Cariform village. When we become infected or the disease comes "in we yard ", we are who we turn to for help, we are who we turn to for comfort and support and often we turn our backs on ourselves.

What does all of this have to do with the treatment of HIV disease…well firstly people do well when they feel well. We must provide a nurturing supportive environment for those members of our community that are directly affected by this disease. Similar to the treatment of any other disease we must deal with the whole person or the whole epidemic.

You can help by being in tune with yourself and making responsible choices. Be the best person that you can be, and give of your best to everyone you meet in all aspects of your life; your church members, your family members, your friends, your co-workers, and even complete strangers. Whoever the person, despite what you think their station in life deserves the best of you. This giving of your best should also be apparent in what you give of yourself at work and what you contribute to the building up of your community and your country.

" Live and let Live". Everyone has the right to life. Everyone deserves to be loved. No exceptions. The fact is HIV disease is here. % of our work force is infected with HIV. They have the right to work, the right to worship, to go to school .. bascically the right to the same civil liberties that we all do. The unifected have rights too .. the same as the infected. NO DIFFERENCE.

Now that we’re on the same level…what now. We must address the spread of the virus amongst ourselves in order to curtail the loss in the quality life and quantity of life of our members. THE TREATMENT OF HIV BEGINS WITH YOU. WILL YOU BE PART OF THE SOCAIL TREATMENT FOR THIS EPIDEMIC?

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