Mental Illness and HIV/AIDS both share a ‘ stigma’,
however the ‘stigma’ associated with HIV/AIDS is more
severe than that associated with any other life-threatening
condition and extends beyond the disease itself to providers,
and even volunteers involved with the care of people living with
HIV. I believe through my 'stigmata' theory that HIV/AIDS
sufferers must also experience ‘emotional stigmata’.
Throughout the latter stages of 2001 and early 2002 when I was
extremely unwell Margie my GP referred me to an ‘infectious
diseases’ specialist in an effort to try and make some form of
diagnosis and treatment of an illness which was exposing many
and various symptoms. I had been on numerous courses of anti-biotics
over an extended period of time and despite this my health was
progressively worsening. Margy was not only extremely frustrated
but fearful of my worsening condition and was in hope that the
infectious diseases specialist could shed some light on my
condition.
As time progressed and my condition worsened I believed I had
every symptom consistent in those diagnosed with HIV/AIDS. At
one point of time in a moment of frustration and panic, and
after I had been released from hospital, I phoned the specialist
and stated my concerns that all my symptoms were consistent with
those of HIV/AIDS, and if I didn’t have that diagnosis then AIDS
as such didn’t exist!
My outrageous claims were accompanied by a level of rudeness
which I will take the opportunity to apologize for now, however
those claims were made in a state of pure panic and a certain
level of pain. During that panicked call I stated that all my
symptoms present at the time were also consistent with “Yellow
Fever” and I unreasonably demanded a vaccination for this as it
was readily available, I also stated my level of disgust that
this disease was being associated and blamed on the ‘gay
community’ whom over the years I have had the pleasure of
numerous friendships.
People with AIDS have an increased risk of developing various
cancers such as Kaposi sarcoma, cervical cancer and cancers of
the immune system known as lymphomas. I had been diagnosed with
CIN2 and VIN3 in early 1998 and as part of the treatment had 2
surgical procedures. Additionally, people with AIDS often have
systemic symptoms of infection like fevers, sweats (particularly
at night), swollen glands, chills, weakness, and weight loss.
During the time of my illness in 01/02 I experienced all of
these symptoms, plus a few extras and my weight at one stage
went down to 47kilograms. I felt like death and looked like it
too.
At this time I also experienced symptoms consistent with
‘Cryptococcal meningitis’, a neurological illness associated
with HIV which can cause fevers, headache, fatigue, nausea,
confusion and vomiting. I also, believed I had Toxoplasmosis and
it is normally an illness often associated with HIV/AIDS.
I had also during the early stage of my illness been
diagnosed by Margy with Epstein-Barr virus (EBV).Patients with
HIV infection have substantially increased incidence of several
malignant cancers. This is primarily due to co-infection with an
oncogenic DNA virus, especially Epstein-Barr virus (EPV),
Kaposi’s sarcoma-associated herpes virus (KSHV), and human
papillomavirus (HPV). The following confer a diagnosis of AIDS
when they occur in an HIV infected person. Cervical cancer in
HIV infected women is considered AIDS-defining. AIDS patients
often develop opportunistic infections that present with
non-specific symptoms, especially low-grade fevers and weight
loss.
The 3 main transmission routes of HIV are sexual contact,
exposure to infected body fluids or tissues and from mother to
fetus or child during perinatal period. It is possible to find
HIV in the saliva, tears, and urine of infected individuals, but
due to low concentration of virus in these biological liquids,
the risk is negligible.
Promoting condom use, however, has often proved controversial
and difficult. Many religious groups, most noticeably the
Catholic Church, have opposed the use of condoms on religious
grounds, and have sometimes seen condom promotion as an affront
to the promotion of marriage, monogamy and sexual morality. They
also believe that the distribution and promotion of condoms is
tantamount to promoting sex amongst the youth and sending the
wrong message to uninfected individuals. However, no evidence
has been produced that promotion of condom use increases sexual
promiscuity.
The United States government and health organizations both
endorse the ABC Approach to lower the risk of acquiring
AIDS during sex:
Abstinence or delay of sexual activity, especially for
youth,
Being faithful, especially for those in committed
relationships,
Condom use, for those who engage in risky behavior.
Condom use is an integral part of the CNN Approach. This
is :
Condom use, for those who engage in risky behavior,
Needles, use clean ones,
Negotiating skills, negotiating safer sex with a partner
and empowering women to make smart choices.
At one stage following my marriage separation and in an act of
pure defiance, rebellion and anger I participated in a ‘sexual
rampage’ so to speak, with the deliberate intent of ‘use em and
abuse’ em, and ‘love em and leave em’. I irresponsibly and
stupidly participated in a few random acts of ‘unprotected sex’
mostly initiated by males who were persistent and dominant, and
who through their actions displayed a level of negligence and
disrespect on my behalf. I have since then on a couple of
occasions been subject to what could only be considered as acts
of ‘consensual rape’, also unprotected, with the latter of the 2
accompanied by some quite amazing coincidences.
I now enjoy living in a state of ‘abstinence’ and keep well
clear of any situations that may pose a risk to not only my
mental wellbeing but also my sexual health and wellbeing. I have
also become extremely learned in the area of being able to say
‘no’. With the help of Margy’s (my GP) “10 commandments for
reducing stress”, no 5 – ‘Thou Shalt learn to say ‘no’, most
important!”
I do however share a level of ‘emotional intimacy’ with my best
friend, my soul mate who is ‘gay’ and whom I love dearly. We
both share a depth of love for each other which defies and
excludes any level of physical or sexual desire.
In the treatment of AIDS anti-retroviral drugs are expensive,
and the majority of the world’s infected individuals do not have
access to medications and treatments for HIV and AIDS.
Only a vaccine is postulated to be able to halt the pandemic
however after over 20 years of research, HIV-1 remains a
difficult target for a vaccine. A question I ask of the
pharmaceutical companies, (who are, mind you amongst the
wealthiest in the world,) is why are these drugs so expensive?
(I also pose this question in relation to the costs of
anti-depressant and anti-psychotic medications) and why isn’t
access to medications and treatments available for these
individuals?
It would be really nice if someone sitting up there in the
ivory tower of pharmaceutical land, obviously enjoying a level
of comfort and luxury not normally experienced by the
mainstream, to put aside their desires motivated by greed, cast
away their ‘fancy schmancy’ marketing and promotional tactics
used to entice and influence GP’s, and utilize these funds
(which would amount to a considerable sum) in a serious effort
to make these treatments readily available for all individuals
infected by HIV/AIDS.
At times I wish I were a doctor because I would like to
understand why a vaccine to halt the pandemic is so difficult
when medical science has been able to, in advance, produce
effective vaccines for ‘bird flu’ in case of an epidemic, and
also the recent development of a vaccine to prevent cervical
cancer in women. I just don’t understand this at all;
UNAIDS and the WHO estimate that AIDS has killed more than 25
million people since it was first recognized in 1981, making it
one of the most destructive epidemics in recorded history.
Globally, between 33.4 and 46 million people currently live with
HIV. In 2005, between 3.4 and 6.2 million people were newly
infected and between 2.4 and 3.3 million people with AIDS died,
an increase from 2003 and the highest number since 1981.
Why aren’t we on a global level, working collectively to raise
charity and much needed funds not unlike that of the dominant
‘pink ribbon’? Not saying that breast cancer and its effects
aren’t worthy reciprocators of all of their fundraising
opportunities and efforts, but surely there is room in the
commercial realm for the ‘red ribbon’ to stand in unison
alongside the ‘pink ribbon’ with both causes benefiting. I as an
individual would like the opportunity in being able to purchase
‘red’ products knowing that a percentage of funds would assist
in the ongoing research and development of a vaccine for
HIV/AIDS and to provide much needed funding for the individuals
already affected.
So come on some of you ‘corporate giants’ out there, start
making a concentrated effort and put your money where your
mouths are, put your hands in your pockets and let’s see how
many of you can start distributing ‘red’ products into the
marketplace. It would be a most welcome addition and I am sure
one which would be shared by the majority of individuals on a
Global scale.
AIDS stigma exists globally in a variety of ways
including ostracism, rejection, discrimination and avoidance of
HIV infected people. AIDS ‘stigma’ has been further
divided into three categories;
1. Instrumental AIDS stigma – a reflection of the fear
and apprehension that are likely to be associated with any
deadly and transmissible illness.
2. Symbolic AIDS stigma – the use of HIV/AIDS to express
attitudes toward the social groups or lifestyles perceived to be
associated with the disease.
3. Courtesy AIDS stigma – stigmatization of people
connected to the issue of HIV/AIDS or HIV – positive people.
Often AIDS stigma is expressed in conjunction with one or more
other stigmas, particularly those associated with homosexuality,
bisexuality, and intravenous drug use. Once again I would like
to make my claims on the theory that all of these individuals
exposed to ‘social stigma’ may also suffer from ‘emotional
stigmata’, internal non visible wounds affecting the mind and
soul, and caused through the infliction of immense suffering.
Various forms of alternative medicine have been used to try to
treat symptoms or to affect the course of the disease itself,
although it has been reported that none are a substitute for
conventional treatment. The definition of ‘alternative
therapies’ in AIDS has changed since its introduction during the
first decade of the epidemic when no useful conventional
treatment was available. Examples of alternative medicine that
people hoped would improve their symptoms or quality of life
include massage, herbal and flower remedies and acupuncture,
when used with conventional treatment, many now refer to these
as “complementary” approaches. None of these treatments has been
proven in controlled trials to have any effect in treating HIV
or AIDS directly. However some may improve feelings of
well-being in people who believe in their value. Additionally,
people with AIDS, like people with other illnesses such as
cancer, sometimes use marijuana to treat pain, combat nausea and
stimulate appetite
The pain relieving derivatives found in cannabis are substantial
and effective and during the course of my illness I wrote a
letter to the AMA in the support and acknowledgement of the drug
being used for these purposes. This subject has always been
extremely controversial however, and as such attracts heated
debate from both sides.
When confronted with this issue during the course of writings
you will have an accurate portrayal from the perspective of ‘the
sufferer’ that may enable you to make some form of impartial
judgment, and a decision based on another perspective which you
may not in its entirety have previously considered.
AIDS HAS CHANGED THE WORLD.........
