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Living with HIV / AIDS

By jeremyc | November 24, 2009

Most people living with Human Immunodeficiency Virus (HIV) or Acquired Immune Deficiency Syndrome (AIDS) don’t even know they’re infected.

Millions of people are living with the disease worldwide. This epidemic is killing many people, in some cases, because they aren’t getting tested or treated.

“It’s that stigma,” said AIDS Resource Center Ohio’s Prevention and Outreach Team Leader, Jared Rose. “It doesn’t really matter what I tell people they still have in their head that it’s someone else.”

Rose advocates for prevention and testing in Toledo. AIDS/HIV can be transmitted through four bodily fluids: blood, semen, vaginal fluid and breast milk (from mother to child.)

The virus can not be contracted through casual contact like hugging, kissing or sharing utensils.

When Donna Hamilton, 45, from Toledo found out she was HIV positive 4 years ago she was concerned about telling her family due to the stigma associated with the disease.

“You just don’t know what to think because so many things run through your mind,” said Hamilton. “It’s a lonely situation, really lonely and you don’t know who to confide in.”

Eventually she told her family including her two children and began to spread the message of prevention throughout the African American community and beyond.

“At that point in time I decided that somebody needs to say something because if I look up and my daughter is HIV positive and I never revealed that information to her then I would be wrong,” said Hamilton. “If my son became HIV positive and I said nothing I would be wrong.”

Hamilton was in what she believed was a committed and loving relationship with the man whom she believes infected her with HIV. After their relationship ended she received a phone call from his daughter saying she should get tested.

“He didn’t look like he could be HIV positive and I want to make sure people understand it’s not what you see but what you know,” explains Hamilton. “I’ve met women who are HIV positive because their husbands cheated on them.”

According to the Toledo Lucas County Health Department, as of Sept. 30, 2008, 877 people were reported to be living with HIV/AIDS in Lucas County and 1 out of every 4 people with the virus were female.

However, those are just the reported cases; the department estimates 1/3 of all people with HIV/AIDS don’t know their status.

“In terms of HIV, [people] under the age of 25 is 50 percent of our HIV infections, our new HIV infections,” explains Bowling Green State University’s AIDS Education Director Betsy Bunner. “This population [adolescents] is definitely at risk in terms of HIV transmission.”

Bunner has been teaching a course on HIV/AIDS at BGSU since the late 1980s.

“One because college students are at-risk based on their behaviors,” she said. “Two because they are going to be the folks going into the health and human services, into legal professions, into businesses where they may encounter the issue of HIV.”

Many of the students take the information they learn in class and pass it on to their peers.

Testing for HIV/AIDS is simple nowadays. Administers use an oral swab which means there are no needles and the results are back in 20 minutes. There are trained counselors who help people with any emotional needs they may have and help them get connected with proper resources if the person being tested has HIV/AIDS.

“Ignore the rumors and ignore the myths,” said Rose. “Getting tested does not put you into a database, it doesn’t mean people can go online and see you’ve gotten tested.”

“When we say confidential we mean what you do with you and your counselor is strictly between you and your counselor.”

Contracting HIV/AIDS does not have to be a death sentence.  There are plenty of medicines that one can take which can give the patient a normal life expectency.

Topics: | HIV/AIDS |

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