HIV Positive and Pregnancy

HIV testing during pregnancy is important because antiviral therapy can improve the mother's health and greatly lower the chance that an HIV-infected pregnant woman will pass HIV to her infant before, during, or after birth. The treatment is most effective for babies when started as early as possible during pregnancy. However, there are still great health's benefits to beginning treatment even during labor or shortly after the baby is born. CDC recommends HIV screening for all pregnant women because risk-based testing (when the health care provider offers an HIV test based on the provider's assessment of the pregnant woman's risk) misses many women who are infected with HIV. CDC does recommend providing information on HIV (either orally or by pamphlet) and, for women with risk factors, referrals to prevention counseling.

Some side effects are appearing to be more common in HIV+ women than men. This may be due to the fact that women have higher levels of certain HIV drugs in their bloodstreams, even though they take the same doses as men. A woman’s smaller body size, metabolism, or hormones may cause the higher levels. For example, with the PI (protease inhibitor) Norvir, women seem to experience more nausea and vomiting but less diarrhea than men. Despite the difference in drug levels and side effects, women seem to benefit as much from HIV therapy as men. No changes in dosing have been recommended for women.

Being an HIV – positive mother to be does not guarantee that your child will be born HIV positive. HIV transmission usually occurs during delivery ,but can also before birth in the mothers womb .If an HIV positive mother receives appropriate care throughout her pregnancy ,including medication to lower the amount of virus in her blood ,HIV may not spread to the child .Without treatments .risk of HIV transmission to the child is higher but with medications taken regularly throughout the pregnancy ,as well as delivery by caesarian section ,the risk of transmission is lowered. dramatically – to about a 1-2%chance of transmission .It is important to note that all children are born with their mothers antibodies, and will therefore test positive on HIV antibody screening tests, regardless of their actual status. These antibodies will usually clear sometime between 6-18 months after birth and viral load testing can be done around 6months to determine the infant’s actual status.

A study sponsored by the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious diseases (NIAID) in Uganda found a highly effective and safe drug for preventing transmission of HIV from an infected mother to her newborn. Independent studies have also confirmed this finding .This is more affordable and practical than any other examined to date .Results from the study show that a single oral dose of the antiretroviral drug nevirapine (NVP)given to an HIV infected woman in labor and another to her baby within 3 days of birth reduces the transmission rate of HIV by half compared with a similar short course of AZT(azidothymidine).In developed countries like the U.S,formula feeding is strongly recommended over breastfeeding for babies of HIV –positive mothers .Whether choosing breastfeeding or formula ,there should be little or no switching between the two as doing so could put the child at a higher risk of contracting HIV, since baby formula can be harsh and weaken the lining of a babies stomach, giving a path for HIV to enter the baby’s bloodstream.

The term Lipdystropy is used to describe a number of body shape changes and metabolic problems that can occur in HIV+ people. While HIV+ men and women both experience body shape changes, women are more likely to experience fat gain in the breasts and stomach. Lipodystrophy can dramatically alter your appearance. If you are concerned about how you look, speak to your doctor before making any changes to your HIV medication schedule that might jeopardize your health. Some of the symptoms of lipodystrophy have been linked with heart disease and strokes, so make sure to go to your doctor regularly and have your triglycerides, blood pressure,cholestrol, monitored. You can also support your body, and especially your heart, with a healthy diet, giving up smoking and regular exercise.

By Johnson Pinto Pinto

About the author:
HIV,AIDS,HIV Cure,HIV Treatment,HIV Infection,HIV Dating,HIV Positive,HIV Symptoms. Article Source: http://www.Free-Articles-Zone.com

TGP can help to prevent HIV/AIDS

- Mohammad Khairul Alam -
- HIV/AIDS programme Consultant -

Now a day AIDS is increasing all over the world in an enormous position. No country could face it successfully. It turns very unique position in some countries of Africa like Uganda, Gayer, Cambodia, and Sub Sahara region etc. East Asian some countries are also affected by this. In South Asian country like India is the second largest country in the world for HIV/ AIDS. There are 5.1 million people carry or suffer of this. It will be the main reason of our country for vulnerable of HIV/ AIDS. Because we have to depend in various reason of that country. Mainly our internal Business fully depends on it. Such there many way we bound to go India. Burma is another neighbor country is already a large number affected in here. AIDS surveillance specialist Mr. Parvage Shajjad Mollik said, “There are so many cultural values and socio economical systems are responsible for this increasing like this dieses, poverty and illiteracy is also responsible for this increasing. This indicator is not fully responsible but it helps to change behavior on so that. So if we want to prevent of this at first we have to emphasize to try to change sexual behavior. We did success to find out our vulnerable target groups and why they become vulnerable”.

HIV/ AIDS is a sexual disease, but it is deferent from other sexual transmission disease (STDs, STI). Other STDs have proper medicine and these diseases don’t create cause of die, but AIDS is very dangerous, there are no any alternative way to survive after it infection, it can end of life. We find out first vulnerable group in Bangladesh is injection drug user (IDUs) and second is professional sex worker. There are many reason every year are increasing IDUs all over in Bangladesh. It easy to get in every location in Bangladesh and chipper than other is the main reason for this; other reasons are political and socio-economical frustrations. Last year 4th surveillance report was about 4% IDUs are infected with HIV/AIDS all over in Bangladesh, but after one year we see the one area of Dhaka City this raise to 8.9%, this report we get from 5th surveillance survey. This ratio will be clouded in our social norm and can help to hamper our economical condition. Our country is very poor so we are not able to face a large number of patients like this disease.

So we have to take necessary steps to prevent it’s increasing. We need several level of advocacy champing to build up awareness of HIV/AIDS. We need to encourage gender/ reproductive health education, which not only prevent HIV/AIDS but also help to prevent others STDs/STI (Sexual Transmission Disease). We can influence our government education authority to include about HIV/AIDS details our primary and secondary level’s curriculum.

Gender education is essential in our country’s adolescent boys & girls. This education can play a vital role of empowerment our illiterate society. It can help to develop our adolescent into a proper knowledge. Religious superstition & fundamentalism prevents to get such kind of education from their childhood. But this knowledge is very important for mental & physical development, it can help their social interaction, social behavior, reproductive health & sanitation, sexual behavior, to able to adopt all kinds of social change, to awareness them of their rights etc. Individually lack of knowledge these one can create other problems.

We also increase peer educator for professional sex worker, peer educator means a group of person or individual who are take from target group or brothel to give them proper training. After training they can able to awareness others.

We need to take TGP (Target Group Promoter) strategy for residence or other sex worker. It is very affected for residence sex workers or hidden sex workers. TGP is a newly invention idea (Proved by Rainbow Nari O Shishu Kallyan Foundation) which help to prevent HIV/AIDS. TGP is a one kind of source/ broker/ sealer (Called in Bengali is Dalal), who collects clients/ customers for residence sex workers; they encourage people to buy sex. Without TGP (Their nominated source) the residence sex worker doesn’t allow any new client. TGP will play a vital roll in our action. Residence Sex Workers (RSW) lives together three to ten in a house. They continue their business under a Guidance or Governance or a Teem Leader (is called Sharderni in Bengali). These teem leaders communicate with some local people, who help them by delivering customer or client, these people is called source (in Bengali called Dalal). They depend on each other. Some times those sources shelter them from local unexpected situation or from police harassment. If we could continue this action then TGP will play very important role. Because residence sex workers don’t stay long time in a house, they change their house after three to six months, but they always keep contact with their source (TGP) for continuing their business. For this reasons TGP is very important programme.

In some areas a group of drug user uses one syringe when they take drug. It is very dangerous for increasing HIV/AIDS. So we should try to alert them, and give advice them two or more drug user don’t use drug by a one syringe.

Mohammad Khairul AlamHIV/AIDS programme Consultant
Rainbow Nari O Shishu Kallyan Foundation
24/3. M. C. Roy Lane
Nowbabgonj- Section
Dhaka-1211
Bangladesh
www.plusbangla.com
Rainbowngo@gmail.com

About the author:
Rainbow Nari O Shishu Kallyan Foundation
Article Source: http://www.Free-Articles-Zone.com

Ayurvedic Management of HIV/AIDS

Article sources : http://www.articlecity.com/
by: Dr AbdulMubeen A Mundewadi

At present, there is no scientifically proved cure for HIV /AIDS. Globally, the number of infected HIV /AIDS patients is increasing at an alarming rate; with a current estimate of 33.2 million people who are living with HIV 1. Hence, there is a dire need to search for a safe, effective and economical treatment for HIV /AIDS.

In a retrospective study in 55 patients, Ayurvedic treatment has proved to be very promising in the management of HIV/AIDS. Fifty-Five adult patients were given Ayurvedic treatment for HIV/AIDS, during the period from April 1999 to November 2004.Each patient had tested positive for HIV/AIDS on at least 2 different occasions. No patient was taking anti-retroviral drugs at the time of commencing Ayurvedic treatment. All patients were started on treatment after written, informed consent.

The Ayurvedic Herbal Combination ( AHC ) comprises of eleven different herbs in different dosage strengths, based upon their respective potencies, reported anti-viral and immunomodulatory properties, and their traditional usage according to Ayurvedic principles of medicine 2 -4 .The constituents of AHC with their respective dosages are as follows:-Terminalia arjuna: 250 mg. ;Zinziber officinale: 250 mg. ;Phyllanthus niruri :1 gm ;Glycyrrhiza glabra:1gm. ;Withania somnifera:1gm. ;Eclipta alba: 250mg. ;Centella asiatica: 250mg. ;Boerhavia diffusa: 250mg. ;Emblica officinalis: 250mg. ;Tinospora cordifolia: 250mg. ;Rubia cordifolia: 250mg. This AHC was dispensed in a combined dose of 5 gms. t.i.d., to be taken with water after meals. Aqueous herbal extracts of all the medicines were used, in tablet form.

All patients were advised to eat a well-balanced, nutritious diet. Therapeutic counseling sessions were conducted regularly to help the patients achieve mind relaxation, to modify their risk behavior , and to increase adherence and compliance to therapy.

All patients were followed up at monthly intervals. Detailed clinical examination was done at each visit and significant findings were recorded. In addition, in affording and willing patients, investigations like CBC, Hb, Liver and Renal functions, X-Ray of chest, Western Blot, CD4 count and Viral Load were done wherever possible. Other investigations were done, if required, for Opportunistic Infections (O.I.).All O.I. were promptly and aggressively treated with modern medicines. A close watch was kept for adverse reactions of the drugs.

Therapeutic outcome was assessed by overall clinical examination, change in Karnofsky score (assessment for overall well-being of patients), change in weight, occurrence and response to O.I., and change in CD4 and Viral Load values. Maximum number of patients was in the age ranging from 20 - 39 years (80 %). Of the total number of 55 patients, 39 were male (71 % ) and 16 were female (29 %), with the male: female ratio being 2.4: 1. There were 7 couples who took treatment together.

Of the 55 patients, 5 patients died, 42 patients took treatment for varying periods and then stopped treatment, while 8 patients continued treatment till the end of the study period. The 5 patients who died were critically ill at the time of presentation, and died mostly within the first two months of starting Ayurvedic treatment. The cause of death varied ; 1 patient died from cirrhosis of the liver, 3 died of extensive Pulmonary Tuberculosis (multi-drug resistant) and 1 died of a combination of Pulmonary Tuberculosis and demyelination disease of the brain.

In the 50 patients who were alive till the time of their last follow-up , there was an average weight-gain of 2.3 kgs.(range = - 4 to + 7.5 kgs), usually within the first 3 months. In those patients who took continuous treatment for more than 3 months, the Karnofsky score increased from an average of 75.9 at the commencement of treatment to 87.4 at the last follow-up. Almost all the patients had 1-3 O.I. at the time of presentation. Other than Tuberculosis, all the O.I. cleared up rapidly within the first 2 months of treatment.

Long-term administration of Ayurvedic medicines (upto 30 months) did not seem to have any major adverse effects. In fact, in a few patients, the tests for liver and renal function appeared to normalize further, with treatment. Haemoglobin readings gradually improved in those patients taking regular, prolonged treatment.The most striking effect of the Ayurvedic medicines was on the Viral Load and CD4 counts. Because of financial constraints, only 15 patients (27 % ) agreed to do either the Viral Load or the CD4 count, or both. In most patients, there was a definite and steady decrease in the Viral Load, and an increase in the CD4 cell counts.

Antiretroviral medicines are the mainstay in the modern treatment of HIV/AIDS. However, a plethora of side-effects, development of resistance to drugs and escalating treatment costs are serious concerns. In the absence of a definite cure for HIV/AIDS, Ayurvedic medicines may provide a useful alternative for long-term management of patients, since these medicines are economical and devoid of serious side-effects. However, scientific research is necessary to determine efficacy of these medicines. This retrospective study is one such effort to assess long-term therapeutic effects of an Ayurvedic Herbal Combination in the management of HIV /AIDS.

In this study, 4 patients died within the first 2 months of commencing treatment. Onset of therapeutic effect is slow with Ayurvedic medicines, and these patients probably could not benefit from Ayurvedic treatment. This emphasizes the need to start treatment as early as possible in immuno-compromised patients. The causes of death indicate that Tuberculosis and CNS involvement are major killers in HIV patients. Multi-drug resistance to Tuberculosis is also a major concern.

16 patients ( 29% ) did not come back after just one ( 11% ) or two ( 18% ) visits. The reasons cited were, a complete inability to pay for treatment, or a search for a ‘better’ or a ‘guarenteed cure’. Fortunately, perceptions have changed in the last few years. Even illiterate patients from the lower socio-economic strata are no longer asking for a ‘guarantee’ or a ‘cure’. ‘Long-term management with minimum expenses’ is a mantra being readily accepted by the HIV positive patient of today.

All the patients who took medicines regularly, had a high-protein diet and kept themselves busy, improved very well and put on weight. Even 2 to 3 years after stopping Ayurvedic treatment, most of the patients are doing very well, some inspite of very low CD4 counts. This is probably one of the biggest long-term advantages of taking Ayurvedic medicines for HIV /AIDS. However, patients with socio-economic difficulties and a lot of psychological pressure who could not have access to regular treatment, started losing weight after initially improving with treatment. A comprehensive management of each patient thus needs to address several issues relevant to each individual patient.

This study also brought forth some interesting results. One patient who subsequently died, had severe demyelinating disease of the brain (as diagnosed in a major hospital), and had lost most of his motor control and sensory senses, since several months. After being given Ayurvedic treatment for about 1 ½ months he became alert, and could speak clearly, albeit temporarily, for 1 week. Another patient with Nephrotic syndrome resulting in long-standing generalized oedema (2 years ) had complete regression of the oedema after 2 months of Ayurvedic treatment without any other treatment. One HIV positive patient with suspected malignancy of lung in the right upper lobe was steadily losing weight. After starting Ayurvedic treatment, he started putting on weight. Another patient with history suggestive of HIV Encephalopathy was semi-conscious at presentation. He was passively fed on liquid diet and a combination of both modern drugs and Ayurvedic treatment. This patient be!

came ambulatory within 2 weeks, and after 2 months of treatment he was faring well, even with a CD4 count of just 6.The above 4 instances indicate that the Ayurvedic medicines may have multi-faceted properties and need further evaluation.

Thus,the retrospective study of 55 HIV positive adult patients treated with an Ayurvedic Herbal combination from April 1999 to November 2004 proved the Ayurvedic medicines to be highly effective as anti-viral and immuno-stimulant,and safe on long-term use. A nutritious diet, Ayurvedic baseline therapy, timely allopathic treatment of Opportunistic Infections and regular counseling support appears to be an ideal combination in the management of HIV/ AIDS patients.

References
1. UNAIDS. Global Summary of the AIDS Epidemic. Update December 2007.
2. Foundation for Integrative AIDS Research. Potential Anti- HIV Herbs. 15/9/2002.
3. Sharma P.V. Vegetable Drugs. Vol. II. IV Edition. Chaukhamba Publications.1978.
4. Dahanukar S A, Kulkarni R A, Rege N N. Pharmacology of Medicinal Plants and Natural Products. Indian Journal of Pharmacology, 2000; 32: S81 - S118.

About The Author
Dr. A. A. Mundewadi is Chief Ayurvedic Physician at Mundewadi Ayurvedic Clinic based at Thane, Maharashtra, India. He is available as an online Ayurvedic Consultant at http://www.ayurvedaphysician.com/ and can be contacted at info@ayurvedaphysician.com

Dr. A. A. Mundewadi, B.A.M.S., is a practicing Ayurvedic physician since the last 22 years. He is a graduate of R. A. Podar Medical (Ayurvedic ) College, Worli, Mumbai, India. During this period of 22 years, he has obtained considerable experience in the clinical treatment of a vast array of patients.

Ayurveda , basically means, a “ Science of Life”, and involves maintaining the health of healthy persons, and treating sick patients. Dr. Mundewadi has studied and experienced extensively all the principles of Ayurveda , involving a healthy life-style, diet regimes, body-cleansing through panch-karma procedures, and treatment with herbal and herbo-mineral compounds.

In addition to his background in Ayurveda, Dr. Mundewadi has also studied the therapeutic effects of Reiki( he is a 3rd degree Reiki Master), Acupuncture ( he has done a basic and an advanced course in Acupuncture), Hypnotherapy and Magnetotherapy. His current style of clinical practice is a culmination of his experience with all these different treatment modalities.

Dr. Mundewadi has been doing clinical research work since the last 9 years. He has published his findings of herbal treatment of HIV / AIDS in 55 patients in the Bombay Hospital Journal, Mumbai, India, July 2005 issue,which can be viewed at www.bhj.org/journal/2005_4703_july.html/original_aretrisoective_255.htm . He has also successfully completed a clinical trial of herbal extract medicines in Schizophrenia compared to modern anti-psychotics, in 200 patients( See www.clinicaltrials.gov/ct/show/NCT00483964 ). He has also conducted preliminary studies of Ayurvedic herbal extracts in the treatment of Bipolar Disorder, Vascular Dementia, Alzheimer’s Disease, Parkinson’s Disease, Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder, Autism, Mental Retardation, and Tobacco and Alcohol Dependence. He also has a special interest in the herbal treatment of Age Related Macular Degeneration and different types of Cancer.

Copyright Clause: This article may be reproduced with full acknowledgement of the author's name and contact(url and E-mail) details.

Natural Remedy Succeeds Against Cancer And Hiv In South Africa

by: Tony Isaacs

Article Source: http://www.articlecity.com

Years ago, when I first began research into the amazing oleander plant, I ended up as a member of two Yahoo Health Groups about oleander. One was named "Anvirzel" (after the patented Oleander medicine which had passed FDA phase 1 trials a few years earlier) and the other "Oleandersoup" (named for the home remedy version of the patented medicine). I became friends and acquaintances with many people close to oleander and Anvirzel, as well as some opponents - one of whom later came after me with hired thugs posing as US Marshalls after I helped expose his fake cancer drug scheme (but that will have to wait for another story).

One of the people I met was a noted South African humanitarian, entrepreneur, crusader and researcher named Marc Swanepoel. Mr. Swanepoel was keenly interested in the oleander plant due to the epidemic of HIV-AIDS in his native country as well as the number of indigent cancer patients who could not afford mainstream treatment options (which were largely ineffective anyway). Like several of us in the groups, Mr. Swanepoel began making his own oleander home remedy after the instructions were posted by Ed Hensley "The Father of Oleander Soup" and the first moderator of the Yahoo "Oleandersoup" group. Unlike the rest of us, Mr. Swanepoel took things a few steps further and he began searching the Brazilian Rain Forest and his native South Africa for other botanicals to combine with oleander.

After testing various combinations, Mr. Swanepoel settled on two similar botanical supplements which consisted of 80% oleander extract made exactly according to the oleander soup instructions. The first supplement was for HIV/AIDS patients and it added extracts of the agaricus blazei murrill (ABM) mushroom, cats claw, and pau de arco, while the second supplement, intended for cancer, substituted the relatively rare chrysobalanus icaco (red-tipped coco plum) for the pau de arco. All of the rain forest botanicals added to the oleander have their own histories of successful immune boosting and cancer fighting abilities, some dating back centuries among the indigenous Amazon peoples. I asked Marc why he used oleander for 80% or the mix and he confided that, as potent as the other botanicals were, he felt that oleander was by far the most effective botanical he had ever found.

Mr. Swanepoel soon selected a Brazilian manufacturing facility named Takesun do Brasil to make his supplements for him and he also licensed them to market his supplements around the world. Takesun is managed (or was) by a German PhD named George Otto (The Takesun website, a bit rough in the English version, can be found at http://www.agaricus.net - but I do NOT recommend that you buy any of their products at this time! I will just say that I believe that there are better and more reliable sources and that Marc Swanepoel agrees and leave it at that.)

Ultimately, the OPC product grew to be quite successful, especially in Dr. Otto's native Germany. So much so, that two clinic were built which used only the OPC and Agaricus products and Dr. Otto ended up moving back to Germany where plans are in the works for a hospital built around an oleander/agaricus protocol.

Meanwhile, in South Africa, Mr. Swanepoel returned to his native South Africa and made notable progress of his own - first getting the government to embrace the use of his oleander supplements for HIV and cancer and then getting it accepted by various doctors and clinics as well as gaining some support at the university level. Over the past three years, he and I have kept in touch and he has told me many times of the success his supplements have had in helping HIV and cancer patients, but I have too admit that I was somewhat remiss in digging a bit deeper and finding out the true scope of the success until the first part of this year when I asked Mr. Swanepoel how the patients in South Africa were faring and he reported back:

"Everything still ok here and cancer patients as well as HIV patients on the oleander mix are doing well. The medical doctor in Cape Town who is using the mix for all his cancer patients has continued to have good results. The oncologist where he sends his patients to (a woman) was so impressed with the results that she is now using it herself for prevention.

. . to date, the only patients that did NOT make it on the oleander mix were three patients with very advanced cancer that had metastasized to the liver and who had been on intensive chemo treatments. In my opinion, the effect of the chemo on the and liver and heart eventually led to failure of those organs."

Needless to say, I was very impressed with the news, but after thinking about it, I started to wonder "3 patients out of how many did not make it"? So, to try to get a better perspective I asked Marc in a follow up message and the response I received astounded me! Just when I thought I could not possibly be even more impressed with oleander, based on my research and first hand experience with oleander users including friends and members of my own family, I got this incredible message from Marc:

"Hi Tony,

"Approximately 350 HIV/AIDS patients have used it and about 80 cancer patients on a regular basis. Of the cancer patients, 5 arrived when they had about a week to 10 days to live and they were too weak to keep the mix down. They died without really being able to try the mix. 3 (the ones I mentioned to you) died of liver and heart failure. All the others are still alive, some now for nearly three years. One breast cancer patient who was given a few months to live eventually became the patient of the oncologist who is now also using the mix. She was declared free of cancer by the oncologist approximately 1 year ago and is still doing well. Others used it for a few months until their cancers were gone and we have not heard from them again. One patient with a festering hole of 1cm diameter on his nose (about half a cm deep) have been using it for three months after doctors were unable to cure the tumor with radiation. The hole is now half the size and not festering anymore. It should be healed in about 3 - 6 months. The doctor in Cape Town whose own wife had metastasized cancer to the bones, is now cancer free. She has been on overseas trips and lives a normal life."

Unfortunately, I do not have time to keep track of all the patients. They just collect the mix from me and phone me from time to time to say that they are doing well. It also seems to help for asthma, male impotence and diabetes. One advanced MS patient have now used it for 2 months and is reporting that it seems to help for the pain in her legs. All the distribution is happening by word of mouth and I don't advertise at all. I have had orders from the UK from people who had heard about the successes in South Africa. A documentary maker there was filming the progress of his wife on a weekly basis but, unfortunately, she was one of the liver complications. He still believes very firmly that the mix gave his wife an extra 5 months of high quality life."

I was almost dumbfounded to hear such news. 100% success on HIV and almost the same for cancers? I knew that oleander was almost always successful, but I had never really seen numbers like that before! If I had not known Mr. Swanepoel for years now and know his character and accomplishments I would have doubted such numbers myself - and I am maybe the number one oleander fan in the galaxy!

The numbers Mr. Swanepoelquote, mirror the results I am familiar with from around the world and in my own family, friends and health forum - especially those who combine a good diet and lifestyle and do not depend on oleander alone. For years, it has pretty much been used as a stand alone product. Marc, like myself, has recommended cleansing and de-toxing along with a very healthy diet and lifestyle to go along with the oleander. I take it a step further and recommend that other immune boosting and cancer fighting supplements also be used - not because I have any doubts in the magical powers of oleander, but because I think the more weapons in your arsenal, the more likely you are to win the battle and the war.

Recently, I received yet another update:

"Tony -

Since my last update to you when the total number of HIV/AIDS patients were about 350 and the total number of cancer patients were about 80, I have given the new mix to an additional 130 people with advanced AIDS and to a further 15 people with cancer. The people with AIDS, without exception, are doing fine and mostly resume their normal activities after 6 - 8 weeks. The son of the senior nurse at the clinic where I am doing my research was a case with advanced AIDS, badly swollen legs and barely walking with the aid of crutches. After 4 weeks, he does not need the crutches anymore and his mother reports that he is now singing in the morning. There are many similar cases and I have no doubt that the oleander mix can control HIV/AIDS better than the antiretrovirals.

I do not supply the mixture to many new cancer patients locally myself, but the doctor in Cape Town as well as two other people are regularly taking a total of at least 15 bottles of the mixture (500ml) from me every month for patients and friends who hear about it by word of mouth. The guy with the hole in the nose is now ok and the wound is nearly gone. He has brought another friend with a similar open cancerous wound on the nose that doctors have been unable to cure and he is taking the mix as well as an ointment that I make (ozonated olive oil mixed with the oleander). He has been taking it for 3 weeks and reports that he can already see a difference.

Two of the cancer patients who were in remission had recurrences of small tumours (but not in the same place as before). Against my advice, they had both stopped using the mix after their doctors had declared them clear of any tumours. As I mentioned to you before, I believe the cancer will always return UNLESS one changes the things that caused the cancer in the first place. The oleander and all other successful treatments allow one the breathing space to give effect to such changes.

Regards,

Marc"

As a final note: Mr. Swanepoel has recently began manufacturing his own OPC oleander supplement and, after a lengthy period of testing, also changed the formula to 80% oleander and 20% sutherlandia frutescens (the South Africa "Cancer Bush". He reports that the new addition does more than the other three combined ingredients in the other formulations. Mr. Swanepoel is in fact, doing a doctoral thesis based on the use of oleander in combination with s. frutescens that should be completed in a few months.

For those who would like to know a bit more about the South Africa "Cancer Bush", you can find a wealth of information at http://www.sutherlandia.org

Live long, live healthy, live happy!

About The Author
Tony Isaacs is a natural health researcher and author of books and articles about natural health and alternative remedies including "Cancer's Natural Enemy" and "Collected Remedies" (http://www.rose-laurel.com)

Reducing HIV AIDS vulnerability among adolescents

By anirudha alam [ 11/04/2007 ]

Reducing HIV/AIDS vulnerability among adolescents

Anirudha Alam

To reduce HIV/AIDS vulnerability among adolescents, there is a need to develop strategies and methods for effective curriculum focusing on sex education and life skills especially. Internalizing more participatory learning-teaching method, it is felt that a stronger integration of prevention education vis-à-vis sex & reproductive health approaches is essential for improving the high-quality HIV prevention & care. It is estimated that there are 1.2 billion adolescents in the world. Near about eighty seven percent of these adolescents live in the developing countries. More than eighty five percent adolescents of Bangladesh do not know what reproductive health is and how to practice safe sex. Most of them are not aware of how to undermine the vulnerability to HIV/AIDS. To make them free from such encumbrance as HIV/AIDS, we have to ensure a healthy and promising environment. It is believed that if the adolescents have qualitative reproductive health literacy ultimately HIV/AIDS prevention programs initiated by GOs and NGos will be successful.

Only effective education can ensure qualitative reproductive health literacy. This kind of literacy helps adolescents analyze thoroughly basic information, core messages, values and praxis related to HIV/AIDS prevention. Simultaneously they are able to inculcate caring and supportive attitudes towards people living with HIV/AIDS (PLWHA). They possess the basic facts and information bringing about acquisition of knowledge and development of attitudes, values, skills and practices (KAVSP) as to undermining the spread of HIV/AIDS. Consequently they have profound awareness on practicing safe sex, use of condoms, gender equity, harmful effect of early marriage, premarital sex and unplanned pregnancy.

Reducing HIV/AIDS vulnerability among adolescents may be promoted auspiciously through evaluating the attitudes and values within community based social norms/beliefs, cooperation and teamwork. From the salad days, adolescents have to be guided by active and participatory learning that they may analyze, study ideas, solve problems and apply what they learn. It is important to ensure that active learning would be fast-paced, enjoyable and personally engaging. In this regard, cooperative learning may play a vital role to make the adolescents aware of HIV/AIDS significantly. It is one kind of effective group approaches with a view to learning with common objectives, mutual rewards, shared resources and complementary roles. Through this approach, group members are stimulated to help each other to master the lesson or activity. Thus an atmosphere of mutual trust and respect are established. Eventually the learning environment is warm as well as adolescents are made to express their views, opinions, attitudes and behaviors freely.

Adolescence is the prime and sensitive period of so many physical, emotional and cognitive developments. So adolescents have to experience many changes unexpectedly. In most cases, they remain unaware of how to efficiently cope with these kinds of physical and psychological changes. Attitudes to sexuality are being developed gradually during puberty. In this time, if adolescents are misguided or deprived of acquiring reproductive health literacy they will suffer all the time in their lives. There is no doubt that sexual maturity leads to happiness and fulfillment in future personal and social relationships. So there is no alternative for adolescents to learn about issues related to reproductive health from parents, teachers and other elders for being able to understand and develop a healthy attitude.

Vulnerability to HIV/AIDS is skyrocketing in the developing countries jeopardized by lack of qualitative reproductive health literacy among the adolescents. But reproductive health literacy itself offers one of the key hopes against HIV/AIDS epidemic as well as its influential eventualities. In fighting the pandemic, reproductive health literacy comprising transfer of skills and attitudes to reduce adolescents’ vulnerabilities to HIV/AIDS is the most effective means. It is seriously necessary to reduce the fear of HIV/AIDS any how. Reproductive health literacy can do a lot to combat HIV/AIDS facilitating adolescents in attaining the knowledge, attitudes and skills that they need to delay sexual intercourse, reduce their number of sex partners, prevent illicit drug/substance use and avoid infection by using condoms.

The academic curriculum of the developing countries like Bangladesh should provide adolescents with opportunities to learn and practice life skills, such as decision-making and communication skills, which can strengthen other important areas of early life development. It is expected that different aspects of inclusive HIV/AIDS/STI study must be built-in into all suitable subject areas, such as reproductive health, human rights & legal aids, home economics, gender development & women empowerment, social studies and science.

Anirudha Alam
Assistant Director (Information & Development Communication)
BEES (Bangladesh Extension Education Services)
183, Lane 2, Eastern Road, New DOHS
Mohakhali, Dhaka 1206
Bangladesh.
Website: http://www.bees-bd.org/

Phone: 01718342876, 9889732, 9889733 (office), 8050514 (res.)
E-mail: anirudha.alam@gmail.com, info@bees-bd.org, bees@worldnetbd.net

Ref: FHI, UNESCO, World Bank

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Community based strategic plan to curb spread of HIV AIDS

By anirudha alam [ 11/04/2007 ]

Community based strategic planto curb spread of HIV/AIDS
Anirudha Alam

Curbing the spread of HIV/AIDS is a human rights issue. A commitment to solidarity, hope and compassion promotes comprehensive campaign as for HIV/AIDS prevention. It may result in a holistic effort to strengthen community based network through advocacy, capacity building and behavioral change communication (BCC). Having no minimal amenities, community people are led to vulnerabilities to HIV/AIDS enormously. They are mostly disadvantaged due to having no access to basic rights. If there is any community based common plan in support of the local response to HIV epidemic the reasons of vulnerability may be removed gradually and effectively.

Community based strategic plan to address HIV/AIDS should be outlined to prevent escalation of epidemic through action research in ways that recognize human rights and self-respect. In this aspect, it is greatly essential to organize social mobilization and accelerate support form local stakeholders and development partners involved in the community based response to HIV. There is no doubt that community based approach is a fundamental mechanism to stimulate the local contribution to deal with HIV/AIDS. To gather maximum support for community based efforts on HIV/AIDS, at first programs have to emphasize on coming in close contact with the local people. This is the effective means to be familiar with the values and perception of local people. Then they will be made to understand and perform the desired responsibility in response to HIV/AIDS.

Community based strategic plan encompassing local expertise and constructive commitment should be initiated to subvert the prevalence of HIV/AIDS in the light of national HIV policy framework and Millennium Development Goals (MDGs). It would allow a profound and greater understanding of the nature of epidemic, its spread and eventuality.

According to UNAIDS estimates, over half of new HIV infections are occurring among young people (15-24 years) – or over 7,000 new infections a day worldwide. Around 95% of people with HIV/AIDS live in the communities of developing countries. Nowadays HIV is a common threat to men, women and children in all communities throughout the world. The challenges in responding to HIV/AIDS may vary enormously from community to community owing to geographical location, livelihood status, social infrastructure and so on. Cross border movement, women trafficking, neighboring to high prevalent communities, gaps in health care delivery, low levels of HIV/AIDS awareness and sexual bondage because of poverty make the communities vulnerable affecting public health systems. To combat this vulnerability with regard to HIV/AIDS, there is no single solution. But integrated community approach may play an influential role to protect from sexually transmitted infections (STIs). This is why adopting a gender sensitive and human rights based approach, community oriented strategic plan will be well-equipped and groomed with a wide range of local stakeholders’ support and participation to address HIV/AIDS. Side by side community people will be efficient to discuss and develop norms, values and practice as to safe sexual behavior.

Community focused strategic plan for HIV/AIDS has to be based on the reality of the epidemic engendered from thorough case studies. The prevalence of HIV may remain low in communities. But there are some considerable factors that can play vital role to fuel its rapid spread extensively. Polygamy, dowry, gender violence & discrimination, believes in superstitions as well as lack of safe health practice may kindle the spread of HIV/AIDS. If the awareness is not shaped fruitfully community wise, all of the programs to undermine the spread of HIV/AIDS will be failed. For instance, HIV/AIDS prevalence was low for many years in Indonesia even with lots of risky behavior. But in the past two or three years, the circumstances have been changed. At present, HIV/AIDS prevalence is growing severely in several communities of the country.

At last we may infer that any kind of community based strategic plan should be comprehensive, consistent, coordinated, constructive, consequence oriented and above all committed to community exclusively. Capitalizing on these key characteristics indicated by six C’s, it will be possible to attain a high watermark of success to combat skyrocketing vulnerability to HIV/AIDS.

Anirudha Alam
Assistant Director (Information & Development Communication)
BEES (Bangladesh Extension Education Services)
183, Lane 2, Eastern Road, New DOHS
Mohakhali, Dhaka 1206
Bangladesh.
Website: http://www.bees-bd.org

Phone: 01718342876, 9889732, 9889733 (office), 8050514 (res.)
E-mail: anirudha.alam@gmail.com, info@bees-bd.org, bees@worldnetbd.net
Ref: UNAIDS, UNESCO, UNISEF

Article Source : http://www.free-articles-zone.com

Women Empowerment, Cornerstone of HIV Prevention

By anirudha alam [ 10/04/2007 ]

Women Empowerment, Cornerstoneof HIV Prevention
Anirudha Alam

There are some forms of risky behavior that directly makes women vulnerable to HIV/AIDS in the developing countries like Bangladesh. It should be cornerstone of life to get rid of risky behavior through improving living standard any how. For the greater involvement of vulnerable women in every aspect of curbing epidemic, they have to be able to respond to the epidemic in a meaningful manner.

In a society, if women and girls are not empowered to develop life skills they are severely vulnerable to HIV/AIDS. Gender discrimination, sexual violence, women trafficking, dowry, early marriage and low levels of reproductive health literacy are considered as key factors in the spread of STIs.

A large proportion of women is infected with HIV from regular partners who were infected during paid sex. For instance, in Mumbai and Pune (in Maharashtra), 54% and 49% of sex workers, respectively, had been found to be HIV-infected in 2005. Across sub-Saharan Africa, women are more likely than men to be infected with HIV. The unfortunate fact is that vulnerability among women is mounting all over the world. Only women empowerment can contain this vulnerability.

Profound advocacy can be an important and familiar way of breaking down barriers for undermining gender discrimination and stigma. The spread of HIV/AIDS is being fueled among the women of developing countries through such risky factors as exorbitant prevalence of HIV in the neighboring countries, increased population movement both internal & external, existence of commercial sex with multiple clients, high prevalence of STIs among the commercial sex workers, unsafe sex practice through bridging population, sexual bondage, the trend of rise of HIV among injecting drug users, unprotected pre-marital sex as well as dire poverty. On the other hand, sustainable family bondage as well as integrated praxis of religious and social values make these countries less vulnerable comparatively.

According to AIDS researcher Mohammad Khairul Alam, “Women empowerment is the first step to stamp out gender discrimination and stigmatization. If we promote gender equality poverty will be reduced significantly. It is recognized that poverty helps to trigger vulnerability to HIV/AIDS. So women empowerment through development initiatives should be ensured to keep HIV/AIDS in bay. In this aspect, such promotional activities as organizing gender sensitization workshop, seminar, symposium, open discussion, popular theatre, door to door work, advocacy session and so on may play important role bringing about effective social mobilization. Thus counting on local resource mobilization and capitalizing on collective action, women empowerment program may be led by integrated approach more efficiently to undermine vulnerabilities to HIV/AIDS.”

It is estimated that more than 14,000 people are getting infected with HIV all over the world every day. Among of them, 2000 are children under 15 years mostly getting infection of HIV through mother to child transmission. So mother to child transmission (MTCT) is considered as an important issue in spreading HIV/AIDS. There is scientific evidence of likely presence of HIV virus in breast milk. Therefore gender issues comprising improved services as to maternal & child care should be ensured through the HIV/AIDS prevention program.

As per the findings of National Assessment of Situation and Responses to Opioid/Opiate use in Bangladesh (NASROB) conducted in 2001, 14% of the female heroin smokers started heroin use below 18 years of age and 38% by 18 year. 22% of the current female injectors started injecting drug by 19 years of age. BEES (Bangladesh Extension Education Services) found that 90% young girls (15-25 years) of Bangladesh are very much vulnerable to AIDS and STIs that they do not know how to take care of their reproductive and sexual health. They have no inclination or are not enough empowered to believe it necessary to seek advice on safe reproductive health as well.

Reproductive health is still a taboo in Bangladesh, particularly with adolescent girls. With very limited access to health care facilities, knowledge and education, they have no understanding about the ways of protecting themselves. But women should be empowered through developing life skills that they can have more control over their reproductive and sexual health. Consequently HIV/AIDS prevention program will sustain comprehensively attaining high watermark of success in reducing vulnerabilities to STIs.

Anirudha Alam
Assistant Director (Information & Development Communication)
BEES (Bangladesh Extension Education Services)
183, Lane 2, Eastern Road, New DOHS
Mohakhali, Dhaka 1206
Bangladesh.
Website: http://www.bees-bd.org

Phone: 01718342876, 9889732, 9889733 (office), 8050514 (res.)
E-mail: anirudha.alam@gmail.com, info@bees-bd.org, bees@worldnetbd.net

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Stamping out Gender Discrimination to Prevent HIV AIDS

By anirudha alam [ 10/04/2007 ]

Stamping out Gender Discriminationto Prevent HIV/AIDS
Anirudha Alam

Gender discrimination saps social consistency jeopardizing health and educational development. It is increasingly recognized as a key factor that makes women gravely vulnerable to AIDS and STIs (Sexually Transmitted Infections). Improving and intensifying poverty reduction strategies pragmatically, overall development programs should be en-gendered. Otherwise development achievements may be endangered failing to contain epidemic.

Approximately 17.7 million women were living with HIV/AIDS in 2006 all over the world. Multiple vulnerabilities like social, cultural, economical and biological factors intertwined as a vicious circle may make prevalence sky-high anytime among women in the developing countries of Asia. So we have to raise a clarion call on combating the spread of epidemic through ensuring gender equality.

Gender discrimination promotes unequal access to resources and opportunities, sexual violence, practice of unprotected sex, women trafficking and women’s paltry representation and participation in social development activities. All of this result in power disparities that characterize personal relationships between male and female undermine the development of not only women but also a nation to a great extent. In this context, capitalizing on capacity building initiatives for vulnerable women encompassing sensitization, training & orientation, exchanging information, experience & views and networking may play an important role to reduce the incidents of HIV as a whole.

Having significant and multifaceted impact on public health, education, technology, business and administration sector as well as on demography, household, macro economy and society on a great scale, HIV/AIDS continues to spread in Asia and the Pacific. Comprehensive HIV/AIDS prevention programs have been initiated successfully in some countries. Nonetheless several grave factors like illiteracy, gender inequality, unprotected extra marital sexual behavior, increasing use of intravenous drugs, isolation from generic health care services as well as lack of outreach treatment and care services are contributing to the spread of HIV/AIDS gradually from most-at-risk population to the general population. As a result, the number of HIV infections among women is increasing day by day. This is why focusing very appropriately and timely on the importance of women empowerment, policy makers should be made gender sensitized necessarily.

Adopting an inter-sectoral approach to gender equality and establishing links between gender, development and HIV/AIDS, vulnerable nations have to have technical supports to confront epidemic. There is no alternative to integrate gender into such major development areas as good governance, poverty alleviation, disaster management & recovery, sustainable environment promotion, information & development communication (IDC) as well as HIV/AIDS prevention.

An in-depth study entitled ‘The impact of women empowerment on HIV/AIDS prevention in Bangladesh’ conducted by BEES (Bangladesh Extension Education Services) indicates that women are mostly vulnerable to HIV/AIDS due to their inherited conservative behavior, beliefs in superstitions and religious dogmas. They are deprived of enjoying their minimal rights as well. Consequently they are affected by gender discrimination severely. A recent survey initiated by Rainbow Nari O Shishu Kallayan Foundation showed that only 22% young women (15-25 years) had heard of HIV/AIDS and do not know how to protect themselves from AIDS/STIs.

HIV/AIDS epidemic is mounting all over the world especially in the developing countries being the greatest impediment to human development. Young girls and women are greatly vulnerable due to their lack of power and means to protect themselves from practice of unsafe sex and ignorance as regards reproductive health. Through a gender lens, multisectoral development strategies should be both pro-poor and pro-women supporting the integration of HIV/AIDS prevention into the development planning activities. Millennium Development Goals (MDGs) are intended to halve extreme poverty and hunger by 2015. So in the course of reducing poverty, promotion of gender equitable behaviors through gender awareness will be able to contribute to reversing the spread of HIV/AIDS as per the desired achievement .

Anirudha Alam
Assistant Director (Information & Development Communication)
BEES (Bangladesh Extension Education Services)
183, Lane 2, Eastern Road, New DOHS
Mohakhali, Dhaka 1206
Bangladesh.
Website: http://www.bees-bd.org

Phone: 01718342876, 9889732, 9889733 (office), 8050514 (res.)
E-mail: anirudha.alam@gmail.com, info@bees-bd.org, bees@worldnetbd.net
Ref: UNDP, UNESCO, World Bank

Article Source : http://www.free-articles-zone.com

Gender Equality, Beacon of Hope for AIDS Prevention

By anirudha alam [ 10/04/2007 ]



Gender Equality, Beaconof Hope for AIDS Prevention

Anirudha Alam



Gender equality, a well-defined by-product of human development, always entrenches inclination on how to focus attention on women empowerment. Simultaneously women empowerment confronts challenges consecutively in translating the responsibilities to gender equality into action. Gender discrimination is the prime source of endemic poverty leading to skyrocketing HIV prevalence. With a view to making gender equality a reality as a core commitment, women empowerment has to be the stepping stone to sustainable development.



HIV/AIDS epidemic is raging in Africa and mounting all over the world mostly due to gender discrimination, stigmatization and unsafe sex practice. To make the spread of epidemic flagged, widening gender gaps must be combated. Nowadays young women and girls are at a much higher risk than men. As per the findings of surveys and case studies conducted in Africa, adolescent girls are 5-6 times more likely to be infected by HIV virus than boys.



Taking an inclusive approach to gender awareness, people should be stimulated to move towards a common interest for sexual rights. Sexuality comprising sex, gender identities, amusement, sensualism as well as reproduction is considered as the cornerstone of being human all over the life through experiencing and sharing thoughts, beliefs, perception, values, fantasies, excitement, desire, interest, attitudes, praxis, behavior, relationships and so on. In the name of gender equality, sexuality may be guided positively and creatively by social, economical, biological, legal, ethical, racial, political, historical, religious, psychological and cultural factors interwoven inextricably. As a result, it would be easy to take any kind of promotional activities fruitfully for reducing vulnerabilities to STDs (sexually transmitted diseases) and HIV/AIDS.



Sexual and reproductive ill-health results in dire poverty led to widespread vulnerabilities to HIV/AIDS. Sexual and reproductive health problems account for about 20% of ill-health of women globally and 14% of men occurred owing to lack of appropriate sexual and reproductive health. In Saudi Arabia, approximately half (46 per cent) of HIV infection was eventuated due to unprotected sex in 2005. All are mostly the consequences of gender discrimination attributed by religious dogmas, social ill-beliefs and monopolistic male hegemony intertwined with unsafe sex practices.



According to the social development specialist Saiful Islam Robin, “It should be realized that there is no alternative to develop and enhance life skills of vulnerable girls and women to cope with epidemic. They may be assisted on the various levels to become engaged in grooming their confidence and organized. At the same time, their voices should be allowed to be heard loud and clear. Thus the collective effort of women is born with the sense or purpose that they will be stirred up to share perceptions improving their access to reproductive health related information and services.”



Gender equality helps vulnerable women to be benefited from poverty reduction, activities for sustainable development, access to information & communication technology as well as HIV prevention. As a cross-cutting dimension of human development, campaigning for gender equality underpins human rights protected in law and practice. It supports fruitfully capacity development of women enhancing women’s participation in development activities.



As per the findings of a recent research entitled ‘Role of Poverty Reduction to Reduce Vulnerability to HIV/AIDS in Bangladesh’ initiated by Rainbow Nari O Shishu Kallayan Foundation, “To track how epidemic often widens when vulnerability deepens, gender mainstreaming in poverty reduction strategies has to integrate multi-disciplinary approach specially focusing on good governance and gender equality through promoting participatory resource planning and internalizing HIV/AIDS prevention into overall development initiatives. Poverty is closely associated with illiteracy and women’s so called participation in development programs. As a result, vulnerability to HIV/AIDS is fueled promoted by gender discrimination and power imbalances between male and female.”



An essential fact is that everybody should be committed to gender mainstreaming. Gender mainstreaming is the keystone in human development. So every development program like HIV/AIDS prevention should be deliberate in providing support to establish human rights that women may be benefited equally from gender neutral development strategies.



Anirudha Alam

Assistant Director

(Information & Development Communication)

BEES (Bangladesh Extension Education Services)

183, Lane 2, Eastern Road, New DOHS

Mohakhali, Dhaka 1206

Bangladesh.

Website: http://www.bees-bd.org/

Phone: 01718342876, 9889732, 9889733 (office), 8050514 (res.)

E-mail: anirudha.alam@gmail.com, info@bees-bd.org, bees@worldnetbd.net

Ref: UNDP, WHO, UNAIDS, Family Care International



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Human Immunodeficiency Virus A Nurses Guide

By James McLean Bowie Bowie [ 02/03/2007 ]

Human Immunodeficiency Virus (HIV) is an RNA virus which converts RNA to DNA, which makes it a retrovirus. Retroviruses use single stranded RNA as a template to make double stranded DNA using a viral enzyme. A person who becomes infected with HIV results in a complex clinical disease known as acquired immune deficiency syndrome(AIDS), which may take ten years or more to develop.

HIV contains a protein that is called “reverse transcriptase” which is crucial for viral replication inside of T-cells. This eventually causes the immune system to shut down causing an extremely low tolerance to infectious diseases and eventually death.

HIV is passed on when the virus from an infected person gets into the blood stream of someone else, this can occur during unprotected sex between same sex and or heterosexual couples, there is a small chance of infection through unprotected oral sex, although the exact size of this risk is unclear. There is no method of barrier protection that completely eliminates the risk; however the use of condoms is considered the safest form of protection.

HIV can also be passed on when people use dirty needles for injections or tattoos; this can be avoided by using single use or sterilized needles. People who inject drugs can avoid infection by never sharing injection needles; it can also be transmitted, in rare cases, through being stuck with a needle that has been used by an infected person. Additionally, a baby can contract the disease by being born to an infected mother or by breastfeeding from an infected woman.

Because the early symptoms of HIV are not always obvious, a person may be able to pass on the virus before they realize that they are infected. HIV cannot be passed on through normal day to day contact, such as sitting on toilet seats or by shaking hands.

Like all viruses, HIV is comprised of only genetic material, a few proteins and a protective envelope, its genetic material, carried by single stranded RNA molecules, contains all the information needed to make more viruses. HIV can not reproduce itself outside of a cell, but when HIV invades a living cell, it turns the cell into a factory for making more HIV.

The development of HIV occurs when the virus infects CD4 T-lymphocytes; a type of white blood cell, HIV weakens the immune system and leaves the infected individual open to deadly infections. The viruses gain access to a T-lymphocyte by attaching to CD4 proteins on the outer surface of the cell membrane. HIV infects certain human cells by binding its envelope glycoprotein’s gp120 and gp41 to specific molecules on the surface of the cells. Only cells which carry the appropriate molecules are susceptible to infection by HIV.

In the 1980s, scientists quickly recognised that a molecule called CD4, which is found particularly on certain T-lymphocytes (a type of white blood cell), was the primary binding site, but it was only in 1996 that other co-receptors that are also required for infection were identified. Fusion of the virus with the cell membrane permits the viral nucleotide to enter the cell.

As HIV disease progresses, HIV variants called synctium-inducing (SI) strains evolve within the individual’s body. SI variants can use an additional co-receptor on human cells, called CXCR4. This may allow HIV to infect a wider range of cells. Once fusion has taken place, reverse transcription then occurs to convert the viral genomic RNA into double-stranded DNA. The viral DNA is transported to the cell nucleus and is integrated, or inserted, into the normal cellular chromosomal DNA.

When the right activation signals are present, the process of making new virions begins. Using the replication machinery of the host cell, the integrated viral DNA is transcribed to make messenger RNA (mRNA) and new strands of viral genomic RNA. The viral mRNA is then translated into a protein string that is cleaved into specific viral proteins.

Assembly of new virions then takes place within the cell, and the new HIV particles are released by budding from the cell surface, taking a piece of the cell membrane as their envelope.

HIV replication can directly kill CD4 + T-lymphocytes. The loss of these cells paralyses the immune system and is one mechanism by which HIV infection causes AIDS.

People who have HIV may look and feel completely well, but their immune systems may nevertheless be damaged. There are no set symptoms for HIV or AIDS, usually if a person becomes infected with HIV they do not notice they have been infected, some may however suffer from a flu like illness shortly after infection. It is important to note that once someone is infected they can pass HIV on, even if they feel well.

The more time passes, the more likely damage is to have occurred to the immune system. Once the immune system is compromised, the person may be susceptible to ‘opportunistic infections’, these are infections that are around us all the time and can normally be fought off by a healthy immune system. Also, some tumours or cancers can occur as a result of a damaged immune system and can cause damage to the brain and nervous system. These ‘symptoms’ are not caused by HIV, but by the opportunistic infections, so until the immune system is so damaged that other infections begin to cause health problems which become increasingly difficult to treat.

The only way to know if a person is infected is for them to have and HIV Antibody Test. HIV and AIDS is such a world wide epidemic it is vitally important that people are educated in the disease.

Zidovudine (brand name retrovir), formerly known as AZT from its synthetic chemical name, azidothymidine, is the drug most commonly used in the treatment of HIV infection. The drug inhibits the replication of HIV by interfering with the process of reverse transcription, which is necessary for the production of new virus particles.

Zidovudine was shown by clinical trials in 1986 to be effective at improving survival in patients with AIDS, and has since then been licensed as the first choice treatment for HIV infection in Europe, North America and Australia. The drug appears temporarily to delay the progression of disease and death in people who have HIV infection symptoms, but does not significantly delay the development of AIDS in HIV-positive people without symptoms.

Zidovudine is increasingly prescribed as part of a combination of antiviral drugs, and a recent international study conducted in Britain and the United States showed that this approach results in greatly enhanced survival when compared with Zidovudine treatment alone.

It appears to have a significant protective effect against HIV related brain disease and dementia. This is due to the ease with which the drug crosses the blood brain barrier, a quality not shared by other anti HIV drugs that have come into use subsequently. Because of the lack of effective treatment for HIV, more importance is put on preventive strategies. All blood donors are screened for HIV, greatly reducing any chances of contracting HIV through a blood transfusion, or through factor VIII for haemophiliacs.

A key preventive strategy has been to change behaviour through education and promotion of safe sex. This has been promoted through advertising and education, with television taking the lead in promoting the use of condoms, especially to young people.

The transmission of HIV through intravenous drug users is also reduced by education, and there is also a Government sponsored needle exchange programme, where clean needles can be collected free of charge, thus stopping the infection being passed on by the sharing of dirty needles.

About the author:
James McLean Bowie is an author and book dealer who resides in East Yorkshire England. He owns a number of web sites which are book related and offer resources for writers, collectors hobbyist's and webmasters. http://jamesbowiebooks.com http://bowiebooks.com

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