hiv or aids - aware
about it before it too late to know it.
Not to say sorry, or why is me to have it?
Hiv has no
more
is a homosexual disease,
although HIV/AIDS is perceived by many to be a
homosexual disease. The truth
is, in
Singapore and many country, the
most common mode of infection is
through sex between heterosexual intercourse. Both heterosexual &
homosexual
can get hiv if you and your partner are not a faithful sex partner.
Most men
who are infected with HIV had sex with prostitutes.
And many women usually get
infected by their husbands or boyfriends, because their partner have sex
with prostitutes and unsafe | unprotected sex | causal sex.
What is
HIV?
Human Immunodeficiency Virus.
HIV is the
virus that causes AIDS. When the HIV enters the body, When it begins to
destroy the body's resistance to diseases. AIDS is the final stage of HIV
infection when the body's resistance to diseases has been totally destroyed
- Acquired Immune Deficiency Syndrome.
Clear
your doubt now if you are too innocent and not yet to know it by now.
AIDS is
the last stage of HIV infection.
Only homosexuals get HIV/AIDS.
You are at high risk of contracting HIV/AIDS if you visit sex workers or/and
you have many sexual partners.
The most common way HIV is spread in Singapore is through contaminated
needles.
You can get HIV by sharing utensils with an infected person.
It is possible to spread HIV to an unborn child if the mother has the virus.
Condoms offer 100 per cent protection from HIV infection and other sexually
transmitted infections.
All HIV infected persons look sick.
Medications can cure HIV/AIDS.
There is no use in going for HIV testing because there is no cure for the
disease.
People who
are first infected with HIV, they look and feel well. They are still able to
go about their daily activities, not knowing that they have been infected.
Some of the signs and symptoms of HIV infection are common to other
illnesses. These may include fever, persistent cough, diarrhoea, loss of
weight and swollen glands. It can take up to 10 years for HIV to totally
destroy the person's immune system. The person usually dies within 1.5 to 3
years upon developing of AIDS from various infections and cancers.
how are
we going to prevent ourselves to get HIV?
Say no to
Casual Sex.
-
Because casual sexual
transmission is the number one cause of HIV/AIDS, avoid having casual
sex. Be very careful when you have been drinking alcohol, as you may not
be able to think clearly and take unnecessary risks.
-
If you do
have casual sex, using condoms consistently (during each and every sexual
contact) and effectively (refer to the instructions printed on the package)
can help to reduce your risk of HIV/AIDS and other sexually transmitted
infections. Although it does not offer 100% protection, condom use is the
best protection against HIV/AIDS and sexually transmitted infections during
casual sexual intercourse. When you have sex with someone who you don't
even know who they are, whether they are always having casual sex. You are
indirectly having a high risk to get the sexual diseases included hiv from
ALL his or her previous sexual partners. Use condom to protect yourself.
Faithful and have a faithful partner
The
Singapore Ministry of Health has four key messages to communicate to the
public on the risks of HIV/AIDS:
Have only one sex partner, and be faithful to that person.
Being in a
faithful, mutually monogamous relationship is one of the safe ways to avoid
getting HIV infection or any other sexually transmitted disease. The more
the number of sex partners, the greater the risk of catching AIDS.
Practise safe sex. If a person is having casual sex, use a condom.
Condoms do not provide 100% protection, but they do provide significant
protection if used consistently and correctly.
how
to use condom? |
Buy >
Male condoms &
Female Condoms online
If a person has multiple sex partners, and is not using a condom, there is a
high risk of contracting HIV/AIDS. Go for frequent HIV screening.
AIDS is a fatal disease. Would you want your loved ones to get infected as
well?
If a person is HIV positive, it is a criminal offence not to inform his or
her sex partner about it. Under the Infectious Diseases Act, if you know you
have HIV/AIDS and infect your partner without his/her knowledge, you may be
fined up to $10,000 or jailed for up to two years, or both.
Is there
any other way I will get hiv?
Yes:
1. From an infected mother
to her baby during pregnancy,
childbirth and sometimes
breastfeeding.
Go for a pre-natal HIV screening if you are
pregnant. Presently, all pregnant women
are required to do this unless they opt out of it.
2. Contact
with infected blood,
e.g. using instruments contaminated
with someone else's blood
If you are going to have your ears pierced, eyebrows tattooed, or receiving
acupuncture, choose a reliable operator who uses disposable
or sterile equipment.
3. Sharing of needles
Drugs addicted and abuse drugs and when sharing needles with some who is
having risk of contact with hiv.
4. Blood
transfusion
HIV infection through blood transfusion rarely happens in Singapore as all
donated blood is screened for HIV before use since 1985.
However, if you need medical treatment while overseas, take care to arrange
with the local hospital to use only screened blood.
Stop to
spread.
Avoid having sex if you are suffering from a sexually transmitted infection.
Not only will you pass the infection to your partner, you are more likely to
become infected by HIV.
If you are not sure of your HIV status, avoid having sex until you have had
a blood test to confirm that you are not infected.
If you think that you may have been exposed to HIV, do not donate blood,
semen or organs. Go to your doctor or to the nearest polyclinic for an HIV
test.
It is also important to know HIV/AIDS is not spread. This protects you from
unfounded fears and undue stress and helps to reduce social discrimination
towards people living with HIV/AIDS.
Clear your worries.
-
You
cannot get HIV/AIDS through:
-
ordinary
social contact like shaking hands, kissing on the cheeks
-
sharing
cups, plates and eating utensils
-
using
the same toilet seats, shower rooms or swimming pools
-
coughs
or sneezes
-
mosquitoes
and other biting insects
And Your
myths
People
with HIV/AIDS look sickly and with spot all over the body.
You cannot tell who has HIV by their looks, even they look very healthy. (
can you see the hiv virus in their body which they are many times smaller then
germ ) Very much the same way as you can't tell when a person have hiv by their
dressing or even they don't dress anything.
There are young "virgin" prostitutes or special villages free from AIDS.
Every prostitutes always saying they are virgin in their first meeting, even
they have started their business many months ago. They will not tell you that
they are possible having hiv/aids or other sexual diseases to scare you always
when you wanted to buy their virgin for sex.
There are lucky charms or magic portions or special rituals that can be
used to protect yourself from infection or provide a cure.
If this is the case, then medication for HIV/AIDS would be readily available
and the world will not be facing an AIDS epidemic now.
AIDS is a ‘gay’ disease. I am not gay so I am safe.
AIDS does not discriminate between homosexuals and heterosexuals, young or
old, male or female. The truth is that anybody who engages in unsafe sex or
shares drug needles, increases their risk of getting AIDS. Being heterosexual
does not protect you from it. Many cases hiv are passing through by heterosexual
intercourse.
I’m faithful to my husband (or boyfriend), so I have nothing to worry
about.
The sad truth is, the majority of Singapore women infected with HIV,
contracted it from their husbands or boyfriends. While these women remained
faithful to their partners, their partners were not faithful to them and having
unprotect sex at all time.
Read this article “AIDS – What Women Should Know” to find out more.
I went for a HIV test and it was negative, so I am not going to get AIDS.
When you contract HIV, there is actually a ‘window period’ where you do not
display any symptoms of the virus. You may need to go for a second test 3 to 6
months later, to confirm that you are truly clear of HIV.
Even if the test indicates that you are free from HIV, if you continue to engage
in unprotected sex or share drug needles, you will always put yourself at risk
of contracting HIV sooner or later.
Remember. there is no cure for AIDS and there is no vaccine or injection to
protect you from HIV infection. Medication, which is very expensive, can only
slow the process of developing full-blown AIDS.
AIDS remains a deadly disease.
Should I
testing for it | why should I test for it?
Early
detection can help prolong your life through appropriate medical follow-up and
give you a better quality of life.
It helps to protect your loved ones.
It is possible for an HIV-infected pregnant woman to pass on the virus to her
child during birth. Early intervention gives the unborn child a greater chance
to be born virus-free.
If you: have sexual contact with prostitutes, strangers or casual friends
have many sex partners | have sexual intercourse with a person known or
suspected to be infected with HIV
suspect that your spouse has been sexually unfaithful to you,
you should go for HIV screening.
HIV antibody testing is available at:
DSC Clinic (Registration required)
31 Kelantan Lane #02-16
[map and registration hours]
Any private clinics or polyclinics
Since 1 Aug 2007, HIV testing with rapid HIV test kits has been offered in
medical clinics. Rapid HIV tests are screening tests that produce very quick
results, in approximately 20 minutes. For more information and to view a list of
clinics approved by the Singapore Ministry of Health,
visit this
page .
Anonymous HIV antibody testing is available at:
Action For AIDS Anonymous HIV Testing & Counselling Clinic
DSC Clinic, 31 Kelantan Lane, #01-16, S200031 [more info log in
http://www.afa.org.sg/ ]
Tue: 6.30 to 8.00pm
Wed: 6.30 to 8.00pm
Sat: 1.30 to 3.30pm
(except on public holidays)
Anteh Dispensary Family Clinic & Surgery
368 Geylang Road
Tel: 67441809
Mon to Fri: 9.00am to 12.00pm, 2.00pm to 5.00pm
Sat: 9.00am to 12.00pm
Sun/public holidays: Closed
Cambridge Clinic
Block 333, Kreta Ayer Road, #03-27
Tel: 63271252
Mon to Fri: 9.00 am to 4.30pm
Sat: 9.00 am to 12.30pm
Sun/public holidays: Closed
------------------------------------------------------------------
24-hours
AIDS & STD Helpline
Tel: 1800 252 1324
Sexually Transmitted Disease Helpline
Tel: 6295 2944
Department of Sexually Transmitted Diseases Control Clinic (DSC)
31 Kelantan Lane #02-16
Singapore 200031
Tel: 6252 1324 (Personal Counselling)
Action for AIDS c/o DSC Clinic
31 Kelantan Lane #02-16
Singapore 200031
Tel: 6254 0212
http://www.afa.org.sg/
HealthLine
Tel: 1800 223 1313 (personal advice during office hours)
Tel: 1800 848 1313 (24-hr pre-recorded AIDS information during December)
Local
Action for AIDS (Singapore)
http://www.afa.org.sg/
DSC
http://dsc-sexualhealth.com.sg
Ministry of Health
- Updates, advice and statistics on AIDS
http://www.moh.gov.sg/mohcorp/diseases.aspx?id=420
Stomp AIDS
http://stompaids.yah.sg
Global
UNAIDS
http://www.unaids.org
WHO Regional office for South East Asia (HIV/AIDS)
http://w3.whosea.org/hivaids
The Body - The Most Comprehensive
AIDS and HIV Resource on the Internet
http://www.thebody.com
