 Today Is WORLD AIDS DAY 2007 - Answers to help you WRAP IT UP !!!
from BadGalsRadio ~ I-riginal 100%GalBassed RooticalTruth
December 01, 2007
Worried about something to do with HIV, AIDS or sexual health? Need advice and information? Don t panic! At AVERT.org we don t run a helpline ourselves, but our website contains loads of information on HIV, AIDS and many sexual health issues. And if you can t find what you re looking for on the site, this page will refer you to someone who can help you. Listed here are sites with more info, and organisations who run helplines and who can provide confidential advice over the phone. If you would like to help people with AIDS and HIV yourself, or are thinking about a career in the field, please visit our HIV Work and Careers page for more information. What s the problem? I ve had unsafe sex. How do I know if I ve been infected with HIV? How can I tell if (s)he s got HIV? I ve got a general question about HIV or AIDS. Okay . . . first, have you read our FAQ page about HIV transmission? Still worried? One of the links below may be able to help you. These pages offer helplines in different regions and can offer you confidential help and advice over the telephone. UK HIV and AIDS helplines www.avert.org/ukhelplines.htm USA and Canada AIDS/STD helplines www.thebody.com/hotlines.html Or, if you have a specific HIV or AIDS enquiry which isn t answered on AVERT.org then e-mail us and we ll try to get back to you with an answer. You can find our e-mail address on our contact us page. Number of people living with HIV According to estimates from the UNAIDS/WHO AIDS Epidemic Update (November 2007), around 30.8 million adults and 2.5 million children were living with HIV at the end of 2007. Number of people infected during 2007, and the number of deaths During 2007, some 2.5 million people became infected with the human immunodeficiency virus (HIV), which causes AIDS. The year also saw 2.1 million deaths from AIDS - a high global total, despite antiretroviral (ARV) therapy, which reduced AIDS-related deaths among those who received it. The number of deaths probably peaked around 2005, and has since declined only slightly. How people become infected with HIV Globally, around 11% of HIV infections are among babies who acquire the virus from their mothers; 10% result from injecting drug use; 5-10% are due to sex between men; and 5-10% occur in healthcare settings. Sex between men and women accounts for the remaining proportion around two thirds of new infections. Young people affected by HIV and AIDS Around half of the people who acquire HIV become infected before they turn 25 and typically die of the life-threatening illnesses called AIDS before their 35th birthday. By the end of 2005, the epidemic had left behind 15.2 million AIDS orphans, defined as those aged under 18 who have lost one or both parents to AIDS. These orphans are vulnerable to poverty, exploitation and themselves becoming infected with HIV. They are often forced to leave the education system and find work, and sometimes to care for younger siblings or head a family. In 2007, around 420,000 children aged 14 or younger became infected with HIV. Over 90% of newly infected children are babies born to HIV-positive women, who acquire the virus during pregnancy, labour or delivery, or through their mother s breast milk. Almost nine-tenths of such transmissions occur in sub-Saharan Africa. Africa s lead in mother-to-child transmission of HIV is firmer than ever despite the evidence that HIV ultimately impairs women s fertility; once infected, a woman can be expected to bear 20% fewer children than she otherwise would. Drugs are available to minimise the dangers of mother-to-child HIV transmission, but these are still often not reaching the places where they are most needed. HIV/AIDS around the world The overwhelming majority of people with HIV, some 95% of the global total, live in the developing world. The proportion is set to grow even further as infection rates continue to rise in countries where poverty, poor health care systems and limited resources for prevention and care fuel the spread of the virus. The chart on the right shows the distribution of people living with HIV around the world, according to 2007 data. High-income countries The total number of people living with HIV continues to rise in high-income countries, largely due to widespread access to ARV therapy, which prolongs the lives of HIV+ people. This increases the pool of HIV-infected people who are able to transmit the virus onwards. It is estimated that 1.3 million people are living with HIV in North America and 760,000 in Western and Central Europe. In these two regions, AIDS claimed approximately 33,000 lives in 2007. The rate of AIDS-related deaths has been cut substantially through use of ARV medicines. There is mounting evidence that prevention activities in several high-income countries are not keeping pace with the spread of HIV and that in some places they are falling behind. Such shortcomings are most evident where HIV is found mainly among marginalized groups of the population, such as drug users, immigrants and refugees. AVERT.org has pages about HIV and AIDS in the USA and in the UK, plus statistics pages covering many high income countries, including Australia, Canada and Western Europe. Sub-Saharan Africa The area in Africa south of the Sahara desert, known as sub-Saharan Africa, is by far the worst-affected in the world by the AIDS epidemic. The region has just over 10% of the world s population, but is home to 68% of all people living with HIV. An estimated 1.7 million adults and children became infected with HIV during 2007. This brought the total number of people living with HIV/AIDS in the region to 22.5 million by the end of the year. HIV prevalence varies considerably across this region - ranging from less than 1% in Madagascar to over 30% in Swaziland. HIV prevalence (the proportion of people living with HIV) appears to have fallen slightly in this region over recent years because the number of new infections is exceeded by the number of deaths each year. However, the total number of people living with HIV is still rising because of overall population growth. In sub-Saharan Africa, AIDS killed approximately 1.6 million people in 2007. Average survival in the absence of treatment is around 10 years after infection. ARV drugs can dramatically extend survival, allowing many years of healthy life, but these remain unavailable to most Africans. Unlike women in most other regions in the world, African women are considerably more likely - at least 1.4 times - to be infected with HIV than men. There are a number of reasons why female prevalence is higher than male in this region, including the greater efficiency of male-to-female HIV transmission through sex and the younger age at initial infection for women. Eastern Europe and Central Asia The AIDS epidemic in Eastern Europe and Central Asia is rapidly expanding. Some 150,000 people were infected with HIV in 2007, bringing the total number of people living with the virus to around 1.6 million. Only a small proportion of HIV+ people in these areas can hope to receive ARV medication, so the AIDS death rate - which was around 55,000 in 2007 - is higher than it might otherwise be. Worst affected are the Russian Federation, Ukraine, and the Baltic states (Estonia, Latvia, and Lithuania), but HIV continues to spread in Belarus, Moldova and Kazakhstan, while more recent epidemics are now evident in Kyrgyzstan and Uzbekistan. It is now estimated that around 940,000 people are living with HIV in the Russian Federation. Asia Until recently it was thought that India was home to around 5.7 million people living with HIV - more than any other country in the world. In July 2007 this estimate was revised to between 2 million and 3.1 million, based on better data including the results of a national household survey. Because of the major revision of the Indian estimate, the number of people living with HIV in the whole of Asia is now thought to be substantially less than the figure published by UNAIDS in late 2006. The current estimate is around 4.8 million. National adult prevalence is still under 1% in the majority of this region s countries. However some Asian countries are very large and national averages may obscure serious epidemics in some smaller provinces and states. Although national adult HIV prevalence in India, for example, is below 1%, some states have an estimated prevalence well above this level. Other countries with large numbers of people living with HIV include China (650,000), Thailand (580,000) and Myanmar (360,000). North Africa and the Middle East The notion that this region has sidestepped the global epidemic - perhaps due to strict rules governing sexual behaviour - is not supported by the latest estimates, which indicate that 35,000 people acquired an HIV infection in 2007, bringing the total number of people living with HIV/AIDS in the Middle East and North Africa to an estimated 380,000. AIDS killed a further 25,000 people in 2007. Latin America and the Caribbean An estimated 1.8 million people are living with HIV in Latin America and the Caribbean, including the estimated 120,000 who became infected during 2007. Around 70,000 people died of AIDS in the same year. All the main modes of transmission exist in most countries, along with significant levels of risky behaviour - such as early sexual debut, unprotected sex with multiple partners and the use of unclean drug-injecting equipment. The largest HIV epidemic is in Brazil, where around 620,000 people are living with the virus, though the death rate has fallen due to widespread access to treatment. Adult HIV prevalence in Haiti and the Bahamas is more than 3% - higher than anywhere else outside sub-Saharan Africa. The future Future projections of the extent of the HIV/AIDS epidemic cannot be made with any precision; what happens next will depend on what action is taken. In some scenarios, governments and societies mount a very vigorous and wide-ranging response which recognises AIDS as much more than just a health issue, and so HIV prevalence eventually decreases; in other projections, good intentions fail to deliver anything more than short-term and fractured responses in the worst-affected countries, and the number of people living with HIV soars.1 What are needed to turn the tide are massive responses at the national and international level: People need to challenge the myths and misconceptions about human sexuality that translate into dangerous sexual practices. Work and legislation is needed to reduce prejudice felt by HIV+ people around the world and the discrimination that prevents people from coming out as being HIV positive. HIV prevention initiatives need to be increased, people across the world need to be made aware of the dangers, the risks, and the ways they can protect themselves. Condom promotion and supply needs to be increased, and the appropriate sexual health education needs to be provided to young people before they reach an age where they become sexually active. Medication and support needs to be provided to people who are already HIV+, so that they can live longer and more productive lives, support their families, and avoid transmitting the virus onwards. Support and care needs to be provided for those children who have already been orphaned by AIDS, so that they can grow up safely, without experiencing poverty, exploitation, and themselves falling prey to HIV. More information AVERT.org has many pages of national and regional HIV Could I have been infected with HIV? This is one of the questions we are most commonly asked. If something has happened, and you want to know if you re at risk, check out our page about how you can/can t become infected with HIV. I think I may need to be tested for HIV Firstly try not to panic. A test is almost always the best way to put you mind at rest, but the majority do come back negative. If you ve only recently had a risky sexual (or injecting) encounter, then you might have to wait before you can have a test. It is generally best to wait at least 6 weeks before taking an HIV test, although waiting 3 months will give you the most reliable result. AVERT.org has a FAQ section on HIV testing which may be able to answer your questions for you. If you can t find the answer you re looking for there, then try these sites which also have information about HIV testing : Guide to HIV testing www.aidsmeds.com/lessons/HIVtests.htm HIV testing FAQs www.hivtest.org/ Or if you need to know where you can find a place in your area where you can be tested : Where can you get tested? (USA) www.hivtest.org/ USA and Canada AIDS/STD helplines www.thebody.com/hotlines.html Where can you get tested? (UK) http://www.fpa.org.uk/finder/ Anywhere else in the world contact your health-care provider, who will be able to tell you the nearest place where you can be tested. The test is usually free and confidential if you re not sure about this, just ask. Most countries also have a telephone helpline on which you can speak confidentially to people who will understand your feelings, and who will be able to give you the information you need confidentially. And remember: if you have to wait to have a HIV test - or if you have to wait to get the results - then do not have any unprotected sex during this time! I may have come into contact with HIV at work I ve been stuck by a needle I m a health-care worker and I m HIV+ AVERT.org has information for health-care workers, and further information about HIV at work and accidental exposure to HIV can be found here : Infected health-care workers (UK) www.dh.gov.uk/PolicyAndGuidance/ Post-exposure treatment (USA) www.aidsinfo.nih.gov/guidelines/ Post-exposure treatment (UK) www.aidsmap.com/en/docs/ I m worried I might have a sexually transmitted infection. Where can I go for help? How do I find out more about STDs? If you have unusual symptoms, or are worried that someone you ve slept with might have had a sexually transmitted infection (also called a sexually transmitted disease), you should get yourself tested at your nearest sexual health clinic. In the UK and the USA, sexual health clinics (known as GUM clinics in the UK) and testing centres are listed at: FPA - Find a clinic (UK) www.fpa.org.uk/finder/ Planned Parenthood info and clinics (USA) www.plannedparenthood.org/ If you re not in the UK or USA, you should be able to find your nearest sexual health clinic by asking your doctor (some doctors will also perform sexual health screening themselves), or by looking up sexual health in your telephone directory, local Yellow/White Pages or an online business and service directory. AVERT has extensive information on a range of different STDs (a.k.a STIs). You can also find more STD information online at : CDC fact sheets www.cdc.gov/std/ NHS overview www.nhsdirect.nhs.uk Informaci n en Espa ol www.cdc.gov/std/spanish/ If you don t find what you need there, and you think you need to talk to someone, try one of the websites below that list personal advice helplines. Condom Essential Wear info I need to talk to someone about sexual assault or rape. If you need help, advice or information about sexual assault or rape, on yourself or someone else, then please don t hesitate to talk to someone. While there are lots of good resources on the internet, if you have experienced a sexual assault, whether it was recently or in the past, you need to talk to a real person. You can call the helplines below confidentially and you won t have to give your name. The calls are free, and they won t show up on your phone bill. UK : If you are a woman who has been raped or sexually assaulted, you can contact the Rape Crisis Federation on 0115 900 3560 (Mondays to Fridays 9.30am-4.30pm). They can put you in touch with your nearest Rape Crisis Centre for help. Or you can go to the Rape Crisis website for information. Victim Supportline provides help and information for anyone in the UK who has been affected by a crime, including violence or sexual assault. Call them on 0845 30 30 900 (Mondays to Fridays 9am-9pm or Saturdays and Sundays 9am-7pm). Survivor runs a UK-based website with support and information for men who have experienced any sort of sexual violence. It also has a UK helpline on 020 7613 0808 (Monday and Tuesday evenings 7pm-10pm). In the USA, you can call the Rape, Abuse, and Incest National Network (RAINN) for free, confidential counselling and support 24 hours a day, from anywhere in the country on 1-800-656-HOPE, or you can contact No Means No on 1-877-666-3267. Again, outside of the UK and USA, you should check your telephone directory or search Google for rape crisis support centres or helplines. I think I m pregnant! How can I prevent pregnancy? AVERT.org has a page of frequently asked questions about pregnancy and also information for HIV+ women who are already pregnant, or who want to become pregnant. Other sites which have information on pregnancy and preventing pregnancy include : Planned Parenthood (USA) www.plannedparenthood.org/LIBRARY/FAQs.html Marie Stopes (includes details of clinics in the UK) www.mariestopes.org.uk UK clinics in your area www.multimap.com/clients/ USA clinics in your area www.plannedparenthood.org/Zip.htm If you re in the USA and you need to speak to someone about abortion, try Prochoice - 1(800) 772-9100. In the UK, both the British Pregnancy Advisory Service on 08457 304030 and the FPA on 020 7837 4044 can give you more advice about abortion or emergency contraception. I ve got a general question about sex I want to ask about something that s not covered here. I m worried my body isn t normal. AVERT.org is really a HIV and AIDS site, so unfortunately we can t answer general questions about sex, growing up or any other non-AIDS related topic. We do always try to help though, so we ve put together lots of information in our teens and sex sections which covers most common questions. Not found the answer you were looking for? Why not explore the many alternative websites we have listed on our links page? Or, if you d like to ask a direct question, try one of the following sites: Go Ask Alice! www.goaskalice.columbia.edu/ Teenwire: Ask the Experts www.teenwire.com/ask/ Sexualityandu.ca (Canada - French questions about sex www.sexetc.org SexInfo www.sex-info.info Copyright 2007 BadGalsRadio ~ I-riginal 100%GalBassed RooticalTruth. This Feed is for personal non-commercial use only. If you are not reading this material in your news aggregator, the site you are looking at is guilty of copyright infringement. Please contact legal@badgals-radio.com so we can take legal action immediately. Plugin by Taragana
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