Dear Steemians,
Good morning, afternoon or evening wherever you are reading this post. Every 1st of December is the day set aside to marking WORLD AIDS DAY througout the GLOBE. I am pleading to fellows Steemians the need to support and joint hands together with them that are working toward HIV/AIDS getting to ZERO.
HIV/AIDS Is Real protect your selves
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INTRODUCTION TO HIV/AIDS
What is HIV?
Human: Infecting human beings
Immunodeficiency: Decrease or weakness in the body’s ability to fight off infections and illnesses
Virus: A pathogen having the ability to replicate only inside a living cell
What is AIDS?
Acquired: To come into possession of something new
Immune Deficiency: Decrease or weakness in the body’s ability to fight off infections and illnesses
Syndrome: A group of signs and symptoms that occur together and characterize a particular abnormality
AIDS is the final stage of the disease caused by infection with a type of virus called HIV.
HIV vs. AIDS
HIV is the virus that causes AIDS
Not everyone who is infected with HIV has AIDS
Everyone with AIDS is infected with HIV
AIDS is result of progression of HIV Infection
Anyone infected with HIV, although healthy, can still transmit the virus to another person
How HIV is transmitted?
Sexual Transmission (85%)
Unprotected heterosexual intercourse
Homosexual intercourse between men
Mother to child (10%) during pregnancy
At delivery
Through breast feeding
Blood and blood products (5%)
Transfusion, clinical use of blood products, transplant
Unsterile surgical and injection equipment
Sharing syringes among drug users
HIV is Not Transmitted:
- Casual contact such as sharing food, shaking hands, hugging, kissing
- Contact with saliva, tears, sweat, urine, feces
- Airborne exposure via person who is coughing or sneezing
- Donating blood
Risk behind Sexual Transmission:
Multiple sexual partners
Non-use of barrier methods (condoms)
Viral load of infected person
Type of sexual contact (anal intercourse is riskier than vaginal; vaginal is riskier than oral)
Lack of circumcision in men
Co-existence of untreated STIs
Role of STIs in HIV Transmission:
STIs may cause inflammation and ulceration, which
increases the risk of acquiring infection by:
- increasing recruitment of uninfected lymphocytes to the site of the inflammation
- Disrupting the genital epithelium and endothelium
Prevention of Sexual HIV Transmission:
- Decreasing the risk of being exposed
- Delay age of sexual debut
- Decrease the numbers of sexual partners
- If exposed, decreasing the risk for transmission
- Consistently use male and female condoms
- Undergo voluntary testing and counselling, know your HIV status
- Treat STIs
Prevention of Blood-Borne HIV Transmission
Method of transmission:
- Transfusion
- Re-use of needles and surgical instruments without sterilisation
- Needle stick injuries to healthcare workers
How to prevent the above mentioned transmission method:
- Sterilising or not re-using needles screening blood and blood products for HIV prior to administration
- Sterilisation of surgical instruments (including those used in traditional practices such as circumcision and scarification) sterilising or not re-using needles
universal precautions for healthcare workers (for example, use of gloves and eyewear, proper disposal of needles).
Be Wise.
Use a rubber,
Don’t try to be a hero
Otherwise you be ZERO
Protect your life and future.
No regrets.
My advice:
abstain:
But if you must have a taste,
Don’t go sampling each and every dish around you,
Stick to one, gready may make you sick.
Be careful though,
Know your status.
It’s great to know where you stand.
Be wise,
Don’t go swimming in dangerous waters,
You may drown in undercurrents,
Finally:
Know your partner’s status.
HIV/AIDS isn’t a death sentence.
You can still archive your dreams and goals.
If you have any members of the family that have it, help him or her live positive,
What’s done is done,
And life is still there to be lived.
Be strong and courageous,
Never give up on them!
Keep walking, keep dreaming and keep moving.
Please Don’t forget to: Re-steemed to others to read. You can save a life by Re-Steemed
Note: The safest way to stop HIV/AIDS:
- Stop Fornication : (stay with one)
- Faithful: (be faithful to your spouse)
- Get tested Today
Thank for stopping by.