National HIV Testing Day: June 27th

 

https://www.pinterest.com/cdcgov/

 

https://www.cdc.gov/hiv/images/library/infographics/testing_shared.png

 

What is HIV?

HIV stands for “Human Immunodeficiency Virus,” and it is a virus that attacks our body’s immune system, making us more likely to get infections and infection-related cancers.

 

Unlike the cold virus that many of us get in the wintertime, once a person gets this virus, he or she has it for life. There is no cure to completely eliminate the virus, but treatments are available to control and slow the damage. Therefore, the most important step is to catch the virus EARLY to start treatment. More than a decade ago, patients with HIV would die of infections or HIV-related causes. Now, medicines are so effective that more and more patients with HIV live a long life and pass away with the same health conditions as non-HIV individuals!

What is AIDS?

AIDS stands for “Acquired Immunodeficiency Syndrome” and is the final stage of the HIV infection. A patient transitions from HIV to AIDS when the virus has attacked a large amount of the immune system, making the patient at very high risk to infections (doctors track white blood cells called CD4 cells, and the cutoff for AIDS is 200 cells/cubic millimeter of blood. Normal levels are above 500 cells/mm³). Without treatment, people with AIDS survive about 3 years. Again, it is so important to get tested early.

 

Do I have HIV or AIDS? How is it transmitted?

HIV is spread through direct contact with body fluids of someone who is HIV+:

• Blood
• Semen and pre-seminal fluid
• Vaginal fluid
• Breast milk
• Rectal fluid

https://www.aids.gov/hiv-aids-basics/hiv-aids-101/how-you-get-hiv-aids/index.html

 

How can I tell if I have HIV? Will I feel sick?

Some people can have flu-like symptoms within 2-4 weeks of HIV infection:

• Fever, chills, night sweats
• Fatigue
• Rash
• Muscle aches
• Sore throat
• Mouth ulcers

BUT, some people do not feel any different and do not know they got HIV until they become very sick…

 

LET’S GET STARTED. How do I get tested?

You can ask your healthcare provider for an HIV test. Many hospitals, health centers, clinics, and substance abuse programs also offer testing. These tests use a sample of blood, oral fluid, or urine.

To find a local testing site:

1. Call 1-800-CDC-INFO (232-4636)
2. Visit https://gettested.cdc.gov/
3. Text your ZIP code to KNOWIT (566948)
4. Buy a home testing kit at a pharmacy or online

Interesting facts:

• CDC announced that over 90% of NEW HIV infections can be PREVENTED by diagnosing people currently living with HIV and making sure they receive prompt treatment!
• Cuba is the 1^st nation to eliminate mother-to-child HIV transmission

References:

https://aidsinfo.nih.gov/education-materials/fact-sheets/19/45/hiv-aids--the-basics

http://www.avert.org/about-hiv-aids/what-hiv-aids

https://www.aids.gov/

http://www.cdc.gov/hiv/

Written by:

Tina Hu

Drexel University College of Medicine

Tyh27@drexel.edu

June 2016

GUN VIOLENCE: A Teen's Perspective

Why is it that people believe guns solve problems? What happened to just fighting it out without any weapons? What happened to fighting and being friends five minutes later? Why are we fighting each other at all? I thought this was the UNITED STATES, not individual states. We are supposed to stick together as a whole. But, we are losing lives every day, every hour, every minute, and every second, from toddlers to adults, over guns. What do we get out of deaths from guns? We are left with nothing but sad families mourning over their loved ones.

Saleem West was 16 years old. Sunday November 1, 2015 was the last breath he took because he was shot at 17 times and one bullet hit him in his back. He was only in the 11th grade at Delaware Valley High School. Quron Willis was 19 years old. Saturday April 9, 2016 was the last breath Quron took because he was shot and killed by an off duty police officer. Both were killed from gun violence. These young men will never have the chance to live out their dreams. They were both so young with a future ahead of them. Not only is their life gone but their friends and family are left mourning their loss.

Gun Violence doesn’t just happen to teens, but it can also happen to toddlers. Recently, a 4 year old baby girl was shot and killed by her own father. Careless is what you can say.  A 4 year old toddler isn’t able to live her life now. Not only is the father careless but he tried to blame his other 5 year old child for the shooting and not take responsibility. Not only is the 4 year old baby girl affected but her older sibling who had nothing to do with the situation is now involved.

   

Another case happened in 2011 with Dominique Devlin who was a 16 year old female in Norristown. She was shot and killed by her 18 year old boyfriend. 16 and 18 years old, they were both beginning to actually live their lives but instead they were taken. One person is in jail for the rest of his life and the other is gone. Now here's another family grieving over their loved one. This is very disappointing because these teens were in a relationship at one point meaning there were feelings or chemistry between the young couple.

Its 2016 and we have lost over 1,000 people in Philadelphia who have been killed from gun violence. My advice for anyone who has ever been through the loss of a loved one by gun violence is to keep your head up. It may hurt and it may be very hard at first but we have to get going. We have to try our very best to put an end to this. Like Tupac Shakur said we need “Changes”. Not just in Philadelphia but everywhere in the United States. But it starts with one person and that's YOU. Guns are like drugs. They get around fast and are ready to end someone's life. So just like we say “no to drugs: let's say “no to guns”. When will people realize guns bring nothing but funerals and sad families and friends?  

Dyamond McNeil

10th Grade Student