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LIVING WITH HIV/AIDS

People are sometimes unkind to other people who are HIV positive. This happens because of fear and lack of understanding. This is why some HIV positive people are afraid to tell their families. Knowledge and support groups will help to reverse this stigma.

Early signs of AIDS

You can get any of the following problems when you first get AIDS:

Weight Loss

Swellings (enlarged lymph glands) in the neck, behind the ear, under the arm or in the groin

Sores which do not heal on lips and genitals (sexual organs/private parts)

Thrush - white rash in mouth or genitals (private parts)

Signs of TB - cough, night sweats and losing weight

Diarrhoea

Later signs, during the very sick phase:

TB

Pneumonia

Rashes such as Herpes Zoster (small blisters on the skin which are very painful)

Pins and needles in the hands and feet (Neuropathies)

Dark blue marks on skin (Kaposis Sarcoma)

Headaches, fits, blackouts, loss of memory and difficulty concentrating

If you are HIV positive you should try to:

Visit the clinic or hospital regularly

Go to the hospital at the first sign of illness

Have health workers help you prevent illnesses like TB and pneumonia

Practice safe sex and limit the spread of the disease

Make sure your partner is having sex only with you and use a condom or abstain

Keep healthy

Eat good food, like fresh fruit and vegetables

Stop smoking

Avoid alcohol

Find out what your medical aid covers and if your benefit scheme has an HIV / AIDS program

What should you do if someone in your family is HIV positive?

Be loving and caring

Be a good listener

Learn about the disease and how it affects people

Behave in a normal way with them

Allow the HIV positive person to stay with your family

Tell the person to work for as long as possible

Tell the person how to limit the spread of the disease

Help the person to go to clinics for regular check-ups

Make sure the infected person eats fresh fruit and vegetables

Do not share razor blades or tooth brushes with HIV positive people

Stay calm and clean up carefully if a person who is HIV positive cuts themselves (use gloves and clean surfaces with Jik / Bleach)

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Medicines that attack the virus

Medicines called anti-retrovirals reduce the amount of HIV in the blood. When two or more of these drugs are used together, they are more effective. This means it will take longer for the person with HIV to get AIDS and will keep them out of hospital.

It is important to take these medicines regularly and to make sure you can afford them or that your medical scheme covers anti-retroviral drugs before starting. You cannot skip doses if you want the drugs to work correctly. Some people feel ill when they start taking the medicines, but this should get better as your body gets used to the medicines.

Once you start these medicines you will need to take them for the rest of your life. Anti-retroviral medicines may also be given to pregnant women, who are HIV-positive, and to their baby after birth to try and prevent the baby from getting HIV.

Government Hospitals do not supply anti-retroviral medicines but will treat other sicknesses such as STDs (sexually transmitted diseases) and pneumonia with very good drugs. They will also be able to give you advice on improving your lifestyle and provide support in the form of counselling.

Remember

At the moment we don't see many people dying from AIDS because people who are infected with the HIV virus look well early on in the disease. They can live for 10 years before they get sick.

There is no cure for AIDS but by setting up policies, procedures and awareness programmes, life quality and duration of employees can be extended whilst the company will have the benefits of a more healthy, motivated and productive workforce.

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"There are no hopeless situations, there are only men who have grown helpless about them."

William Ngwako Maphoto

 
URL: www.wits.ac.za/hms/life.htm. Contact us. Updated 5 March 2004.