We were told in the Bible how in the time past, God used plagues to punish the household of a wicked King Pharaoh and his subjects in Egypt; today the entire world is in serious fear over what seems another plague, it is called HIV/AIDS. It is a deadly disease.AIDS is no respecter of nobody; it has no cure. You cannot see anybody or point at anybody and say this person has, has no aids. It is not written on faces. But it is however not a death sentence.
Government all over the world is putting effort in place to ensure a global eradication of the dreaded monster. The measures though capital intensive, has been scientifically proved but can only for now prevent and control its virus as "AIDS has no cure”.
Stigmatisation is a major problem faced by AIDS patients. It could cause a HIV/AIDS patient to begin to emaciate.So patients need to be encouraged, shown love and assured of life.
WHAT IS AIDS?
AIDS is simply “Acquired Immune Deficiency Syndrome”. It is not an airborn but a relational condition ravaging the society and could make life miserable for carriers.
HISTORY OF AIDS
Some people have said AIDS first started in the United States of America; that aids was first mentioned there when five men with serious immune breakdown were hospitalized in Los Angeles in 1981. The Doctors were said to have been surprised because the infection was life threatening. But when investigation was further carried out, it was discovered that the five men were Homosexual.
Another case of HIV/AIDS infection was discovered in New York when some men were effected with a skin disease called Kaposi sarcoma. Following investigation and test carried out, the men were said to be Homosexual and drug addicts.
Between 1981 and 1982, a case of HlV/AlDS was report in England and within this same period, cases of HlV/Aids has been reported all over the world. The cause of infection was not known until a French scientist in 1984 established it, making clearer the mode of transmission. Later an American Doctor called Jay Lavy identified the aids virus while he was working in San Francisco and gave it the name AlDS.
By 1985, more scientist became involved in further research which revealed that AIDS virus does not only affect the immune system but also affects the cells in the brain and could make one to have a disease that is called dementia. In May 1986 to be precise, the international committees officially gave the name HIV to this virus that causes AIDS; meaning Human immune-Deficiency Virus. It is said to be retrovirus; what scientist meant by this is that it is able to copy and multiply itself at will.
Meanwhile, there are some culture with erroneous views of the origin of this disease called HIV/AIDS. An average African for instance, before now believed that HIV/AIDS was a white man disease and that white men effected Africans with the disease. And that it was when the European tourists having make love, with animals like dogs, monkeys, etc. in their countries get effected with the disease, came to Africa and infected Africans.
Another version has it that man contaminated it through the eating of improperly cooked meat like dogs, monkeys, cats; and that these animals must have bitten man and infected him with the disease; that such disease had infected the black monkeys long centuries ago was their reference point.
Some people have even viewed the origin of HIV/AIDS religiously. In their own analysis, the world today is full of evil and people have turned away from God; that they said is why God has decided to punish the human race with such plagues, so that man can turn away from sinful act and take to the part of righteousness.
Did I hear you say who is correct?
DOES IT MATTER WHO IS CORRECT?
It does not, rather it has been proven and become an acceptable fact that HIV/AIDS is real, it has a devastating effect on man and has no cure. The whole world have recognized that fact and are looking for measures to adopt to eradicate the deadly monster.
Report has it that as at the time of this research that over twenty five million people have been confirmed to have been infected with the virus; large number dies everyday, our hospitals and health centers are filled up of people diagnosed of HIV/AIDS. The disease is eating deep into African countries, from one individual to another. Who is next to be effected? Would it be I? Or would it be you? These are questions and answers in the mind of most people.
CAUSES
It is found in the body fluids such as blood, breast milk, vagina fluids, semen. When the immune system in the body has been destroyed by the HIV, the immune cells become destroyed because it is capable of copying itself and multiply itself in the body. At this stage, the body becomes defenseless and prone to infection because the immune system that has been destroyed by the HIV has some chemical in it that fight germs; that chemical is called antibodies. By the time this antibodies would have been destroyed, any disease/infection that finds its way into the body system would stay. This is how aids develop.
Aids is not a hereditary or an inborn disease it is transferred from one person to another. It could also be transferred from mother to her unborn baby. When a person goes for a blood test and revealed the presences of HIV positive. If he has antibodies in his system, he need not to worry but to immediately go and see a medical doctor for some important advice/counselling that will help him manage the virus and live on. So one can be HIV positive and live longer than his or her mates that are negative.
When one contacts HlV, he may not begin to experience illnesses immediately but with time the disease and illnesses begins to surface. The period when one contracts HIV to the time it develops to AIDS is called asymptomatic. This period varies in the individuals, when the person eventually developed to an AIDS victim, it could take six months to two years or more years before the person will eventually die.
HOW HIV/AIDS COULD BE CONTACTED
A. Some of the ways the disease can be contacted or transmitted are as follows: A. Through blood transfusion from Aids patient
Solution . Only screened and tested HIV free blood should be transfused
B. Through the use of infected sharp objects such as syringes, or needles, clippers, blades etc.
Solution Avoid the use of infected objects. Make sure any sharp object you wish to use are sterilized.
C. Through having sexual intercourse with HIV or AIDS patient. The semen or vagina fluid of an infected person can harbor HIV. It can also be transmitted through the mucous lining or membranes of the vagina, penis or rectum and the virus can easily move into the blood stream and that is it.
Solution
Desist from pre-marital sex, extra marital sex. It you cannot hold yourself, apply any other measure like wearing of condom and ensure a protected sexual intercourse. But I must emphasis here that total abstinence and be faithful to ones partners is the best protective measure of contacting HIV or AIDS.
D. Infected mother could also transmit HIV into her unborn baby. In some cases, through breast feeding after birth.
Solution
HIV test should be carried out by couples before marriage. After birth if the mother of the baby is HIV positive, she should not be allowed to breast feed that baby.
E. By exposing ones injuries, he could be infected with HIV Solution
Apply first aid treatment to injuries but where the injury is severe, see a Doctor immediately.
A close look at some of the causes of HIV/AIDS as outlined above would reveal that the chances of contacting it is wide if care is not taken.
That somebody is looking freshly, puffy and healthy does not mean he / she is HIV or AIDS free, until test is carried out again and again and again and reveal negative. Government at various level are working seriously to ensure HIV/AIDS free society; this effort must be collaborated by corporate bodies, non governmental organizations, the individuals to achieve this objective.
The following preventive measures will help to Checkmate the spread and contraction of HIV orAIDS.
i. The use of condom when one desires to have sex and cannot hold himself.
ii. Every foreigner that must enter the country should be screened to know if they are HIV positive or infected with AIDS related virus before allowed to enter into the country.
iii. Any item or implements that could easily be infected or contaminated of AIDS must not be shared with another person.
iv. Let Government close down all hotels and club houses where prostitutes stay
v. Public enlightenment, and education should be carried out to teach everybody the dangers of this deadly disease
vi. Every Blood that must be sent to the Blood bank or transfused into a patient must be thoroughly screened ofAiDS virus.
vii. Anybody who is tested and is HIV positive must not be allowed to donate blood to any patient.
viii. HlV positives patient must not be isolated they should be shown love and care since shaking of hands, sitting together with HlV patient does not make one to contactAlDS.
Aids is real; people should know that it is a global issue. in America, people contacted Aids through Homosexual relationship. When a test was conducted in a school in Agege recently, out of every 120 tested, 18 students tested positive and out of 18 students 11 were girls.
In 2003, when Bill Clinton came to Nigeria two women came out and confessed they are AiDS patients.
Dr. Agony of Lagos University Teaching Hospital (LUTH) said in a television programme (inside out) with Agatha, that nobody has ever been tested positive and later discovered to be a lie except there is a laboratory error.
Some people though know aboutAlDS still do not believe it is a killer disease. Nobody is saying there should not be sex at all, but illicit sex, someone can have enough fun without sex, however, sex without marriage is a Lost. It seem easier for a woman to contact Aids from a man than for a man from a woman.
In the recent time, condom seems to have come as one of the preventive measure against Aids for those who may have been in burden about sex. Though a relief, it is not completely safe as it has defect. People believe that abstinence is difficult hence they take to condom. According to the catholic Bishop of Nigeria, condom promotes sexual immoralities.
Since the condom is elastic, it may not be completely safe, so the safe way from Aids I would advise are:
To have sex only when your time comes and you would have got married
Awareness should be created on the dangers of Aids
The youths should be supported and poverty eliminated, so that young boys and girls who have come of age can choose their partners and get married to avoid indiscriminate sexual intercourse.
SYMPTOMS OF AIDS
When you notice the following conditions, you know the person may have contacted HIV orAIDS
a. Swelling in the neck region
b. Pains in thejoints
c. Unending fever/malaria, stomach aches, headache, catarrh, chest pain, pneumonia etc.
d. Emancipation / wearing away of body tissues
- Loss oprpetite
f. Dehydration
g. Total depression
h. Restlessness
i. Powerlessness
j. Rashes on the Skin
k. Loss of weight
I. The end of it all may be death.
NOTE: if you noticed four or more of the above mentioned conditions, sum up courage and see a Doctor.
HOW YOU CANNOT BE INFECTED WITH HIV
a. By touching: You cannot contract HIV by touching, shaking hands, hugging a HIV/AIDS patient
b. By coughing: HIV/Aids cannot be contracted ortransmitted through coughing or sneezing
c. Utensils/Cutleries: HlV/AlDS is not contracted or transmitted through the use of cutleries like spoon, knife, fork, cup, glasses used by HIV patient.
d. Eating together: you cannot be infected with HIV by eating together on the same plate with a HIV patient.
e. Sharing toilet: You cannot be infected by sharing the same toilet with HIV patient.
f. Mosquito Bite: When a mosquito or other biting insect bites an infected person and comes to bite you, does not make you contract the virus.
g. Games e.g. Swimming: Sharing the same swimming pool with HIV person does not make you contract the virus
h. Sleeping tagether: You cannot catch HIV through sleeping together on the same bed.
The grace about HIV/AIDS is that it does not spread like other plagues we have read about. This one, if you don't invite it; you don't catch it, if you protect yourself, you don't catch it, if you cannot stay out of sex, just marry or if you are not ready for it yet, then you must eschew unprotected sex, for this dangerous habit can cause you your dear life.
SAY NO TO AIDS BY SAYING YES TO PREVENTION!
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