World Aids Day and the message it holds
Umair Shafiq
World AIDS Day, designated on 1 December every year since 1988, is an international day dedicated to raising awareness of the AIDS pandemic caused by the spread of HIV infection and mourning those who have died of the disease.
World AIDS Day was first conceived in August 1987 by James W. Bunn and Thomas Netter, two public information officers for the Global Programme on AIDS at the World Health Organization in Geneva, Switzerland.
World AIDS Day takes place on 1 December each year. It’s an opportunity for people worldwide to unite in the fight against HIV, to show support for people living with HIV, and to commemorate those who have died from an AIDS-related illness. Founded in 1988, World AIDS Day was the first ever global health day.
The U.S. Government theme for World AIDS Day 2020 – Ending the HIV/AIDS Epidemic: Resilience and Impact is especially poignant this year as our HIV community has been newly challenged by, and often led the response to, COVID-19 in communities around the globe.
The Red ribbon has become an internationally recognized symbol for AIDS awareness, worn by people throughout the year in support of people living with HIV and in remembrance of those who have died
Official data reveals the total number of people facing deadly disease (HIV) in the Jammu and Kashmir as on Aug 2018 is 4609. “In Government Medical College Jammu (GMC) infected people alive on ART is 2246, while in SKIMS Srinagar 256 patients are alive on ART.
When people first hear about their HIV status, they may feel shock, anger and numbness and they usually deny that they are affected by the disease. Feelings of guilt and shame are also present. People with HIV are usually stigmatized and face a lot of other problems like being looked down upon, shunned by the society as well as the family and friends.
They receive little psychological and social support and are usually left to face the disease by themselves. The positive diagnosis also has a negative effect on the marital relationship wherein, the spouse usually leaves the relationship. The stigma attached with HIV usually arises from fear and lack of information about how HIV spreads and whether or not it can be controlled.
This stigma leads to people facing a lot of mental health problems like depression as well as self-induced isolation leading to disrupted social relationships, thus people may not engage in any activities with people from their families, friends and society.
People also have lowered self-esteem and view themselves in a negative light. There may be denial and people may also further engage in disruptive behaviours like drinking and taking drugs. This affects the quality of life of the people and also the diagnosis, disease progression and also care and may not adhere to medication, thereby letting the disease progress.
Physical abuse and denial for treatment at hospitals are other issues faced by the people. The number of new HIV infections in Jammu and Kashmir in 2017 was 213, the lowest in recent years and seven times lower than the Indian national average for the year, a government report says, but the rate of decline is still worrying.
Causes
HIV infection is caused by the human immunodeficiency virus. You can get HIV from contact with infected blood, semen, or vaginal fluids. Most people get the virus by having unprotected sex with someone who has HIV. Another common way of getting it is by sharing drug needles with someone who is infected with HIV.
Prevention
You can use strategies such as abstinence (not having sex) with several partners, never sharing needles, and using condoms the right way every time you have sex. You may also be able to take advantage of HIV prevention medicines such as pre-exposure prophylaxis (PrEP) and post-exposure prophylaxis (PEP).
How HIV spreads
By having sex. You may become infected if you have sex with an infected partner whose blood, semen secretions enter your body.
2) By sharing needles. Sharing contaminated IV drug paraphernalia (needles and syringes) puts you at high risk of HIV and other infectious diseases, such as hepatitis.
3) From blood transfusions. In some cases, the virus may be transmitted through blood transfusions. American hospitals and blood banks now screen the blood supply for HIV antibodies, so this risk is very small.
4) During pregnancy or delivery or through breast-feeding.
Treatment
There is no cure for HIV/AIDS. However, there are medications called highly active antiretroviral therapy, or HAART, that slow the progression of HIV infection. As a result, there are now many people living with HIV/AIDS. The infections and cancers that AIDS causes can often be treated.
HIV is not transmitted by casual contact
Repeated, carefully designed and monitored scientific studies prove that there is no risk of transmitting HIV by sharing the same space, classroom, recreational facilities, swimming pool, bathroom, clothing with someone who has HIV infection. Ordinary objects and surfaces used by people with HIV infection present no danger and need not be feared. HIV is not transmitted by coughing or sneezing. Neither animals nor insects can transmit HIV.
There is no chance of transmitting HIV through sexual activities that do not involve direct contact of semen, pre- ejaculatory fluid, vaginal secretions or blood.
The author is pursuing B.Sc in Nursing)
