Embracing the PLWAs

HIV stands for human immunodeficiency virus. It harms your immune system by destroying the white blood cells that fight infection. This puts you at risk for serious infections and certain cancers. AIDS stands for acquired immunodeficiency syndrome. It is the final stage of infection with HIV. Not everyone with HIV develops AIDS.

HIV most often spreads through unprotected sex with an infected person. It may also spread by sharing drug needles or through contact with the blood of an infected person. Women can give it to their babies during pregnancy or childbirth. HIV has been known as a killer disease since no cure has been discovered yet. 

About 500,000 teenagers have been infected with HIV/AIDS in Kenya. The only way of HIV prevention is abstaining from sex. The government currently has a way of prolonging the life of someone living with HIV/AIDS through the introduction of ARVs. Victims throughout the whole country are encouraged to use ARVs which are supplied in hospitals for free. 

HIV/AIDS is taught in all institutions so as to create awareness. People are urged to get tested so they can know their status. Everyone is taught to embrace those who are victims of the disease instead of stigmatising them. Although,not everyone has embraced them, there is still hope for a better tomorrow. We may not be able to stop it by at least we can give hope. 

Being infected with HIV is no longer a death sentence. HIV is now looked on as a chronic manageable condition. However, having HIV is no picnic, either. Good nutrition is important for everyone’s health. Nutrition plays an important role in the health of the immune system and its ability to fight infection. Healthy eating also helps you become and stay a healthy weight, and can help reduce the risk of developing heart disease, diabetes, cancer and osteoporosis.

Having HIV doesn’t mean that you have to make big changes to your diet. But eating the right foods can make you feel better, have more energy and can keep your heart and bones healthy as you get older.

Comments

Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

TYPES OF HIV TEST

1.Antibody tests The most common HIV test is an antibody test. Antibodies are part of your immune system that are produced when you come into contact with an infection. Antibody tests look for this immune response. These tests can be finger-prick tests or use blood samples sent to a laboratory. If this result is negative or non-reactive, then you are HIV negative. If the result is positive this does not mean that you definitely have HIV, although it is likely. A small percentage of people can have a ‘false-positive’ result. All positive results need to be confirmed by a second test. In the UK a more sensitive antibody test called a western blot test is usually used to confirm a positive result. The western blot test takes longer (usually a week). It identifies genuine positive results. HIV antibody tests do not work as soon as you are infected because it usually takes four weeks for your body to generate antibodies to HIV. The time between infection and when your body ...
Read more

WITCHCRAFT AND HIV

Myth is a widely held but false idea or belief,on the other hand witchcraft is the practice of and belief in magical skills and abilities exercised by solitary practitioners. It is a central to many African conceptions of illness, disease causation and etiology. It varies culturally depending with the society. In many countries especially African countries people belief that HIV/AIDS is a spell that is cursed on a person through witchcraft.since an HIV/AIDS infected person may show signs like diarrhea and loss of weight which are classic symptoms of poisoning through witchcraft, suspicion of is retained as potential explanation for the ultimate reason behind the infection. The infected person would then consulte a witchdoctor for medication thus leading to more deaths since they can not find proper medication to prolong their lives.Men and women who believe HIV/AIDS is spread through witchcraft are less likely to use protection (condoms) during sexual intercourse.   ...
Read more

DRUG ABUSE CONTRIBUTION TO HIV/AIDS SPREAD

DRUG ABUSE CONTRIBUTION TO HIV /AIDS SPREAD Drug abuse is the over or under use  of any substance that alternates the normal functioning of the body. Drug abuse has been a great contributor to the spread  of HIV/AIDS. Do drugs contribute to the Spread  of HIV and how? It  increases the likely hood  of users to engage in high-risk  sexual practice   with infected individuals. Drug abuse also interferes with  effectiveness  of HIV treatment. Addicts may engage in sexually risky behaviors to obtain drugs or money for drugs. Sharing of needles while doing  drugs also exposes users to  infection since no one really  bothers about  the status of the other drug user. Abuse of substance      increases cancer risk ( ie)  most HIV patients  are smokers hence increased  incidence of lung cancer shortening the lifespan of the patient . Research shows that drug abuse causes greater  injury to...
Read more