HIV Situation in the Philippines

January 2012 Positive na ako sa HIV

january 2012 ang mga araw na feeling ko bumagsak ang buong mundo saken. December 2011 malapit ng magpasko at araw ng renewal para sa aking working visa at nagkataon na may medical at kasama ang HIV Test pero bago ako nagpunta sa aking doctor kung san ako ni refer ng aking employer naramdaman ko na ang mga sintomas ng HIV which is na di ko pa alam na sintomas na pala lately ko na lng sya nalaman. bago ako nagpa medical mid week ng december nagkasakit ako ng almost 1 month andun na yung high fever na umabot ng 40 degree celsius and at the same time feeling ko na lagi akong pagod although na nakakaranas nman ako ng pagod kasi sa nature ng work ko pero yung pagod na nararamdaman ko ay kakaiba sya at laging masakit ang buong katawan ko at nagkakaroon ako ng muscle ache pero di ko ininda yung sakit na yun patuloy pa rin ako sa pagtratrabaho kasi di nman ako pwedeng mag absent or mag file ng leave kaya no chioce kahit mataas ang lagnat ko at nanghihina ang katawan ko patuloy ako sa work ko, pero naging mabait nman ang employer ko kasi sinabihan nya ako magpagamot so idecided to call my mother to accompany me to the doctor ( this is my first doctor) so we went to the clinic for medical check up para malaman kung ano ang reason bakit nagkakalagnat ako ng di bumababa at hanggang sa nagkaroon ako ng matinding sore throath na halos di ako makakain kasi ang hirap lumunok kahit na oatmeal di ko makain so dumating na yung time na tinawag na ko ng aking doctor pumasok kami sa room nya kasama ang aking nanay at umupo ako sa harap ng doctor kinuhaan nya akong vital signs at mataas pa rin ang lagnat ko then tiningnan nya yung sore throath ko at sabi nya napaka worst daw so binigyan nya ko ng maraming gamot. nung time na di ko pa nalalaman na HIV+ ako lately ko na lng nalaman na di pala makikita o malalaman agad unless na di ka magpapatest. so after ko magpatingin sa unang doctor ko lumipas ang 2 weeks di pa rin ako ok an pakiramdam ko, di pa rin naalis ang mga sintomas then hanggang sa nagkaroon na ako ng mga rashes sa katawan na makating makati na halos mamula ang buong katawan ko, so nag decide ako sabihin sa employer ko na magpa check up ulit then nirefer nya ko sa private doctor nya sa isang private hospital at nagpunta agad ako sa 2nd doctor ko kung san ako nirefer ng employer ko nagkaroon ng blood test pero di sa HIV test ang blood test na ito ay FBC ( full blood counts only) at ng after 1 1/2 hours dumating ang resulta nya at cnasabi sa resulta na bumaba ng husto ang platelets ko at na diagnose na GLANDULAR FEVER ( abt sa ibig sabihin ng sakit na ito ay mababasa nyo sa susunod kong blog) so nag stick ako dun sa diagnos na yun at buong akala ko na yun lang ang dahilan ng aking pagkakasakit subalit hindi pala. dumating yung araw na kelangan ko na mag renew ng working visa ko january 2012 nag punta ako sa isang clinic ulit kung san ako magpapamedical para sa requirements sa pag rerenew ng aking working visa at naging panatag ang loob ko na nagpunta sa clinic nagpakuha ako ng dugo para sa HIV test at sinabi ng pangatlong doctor ko na after 2 weeks malalaman ang resulta during that time na pag aantay sa resulta di ako nag isip na baka maging positive ako which is na nagkaronn ako ng sexual intercourse na unprotected pero mnsan pumapasok din sa isip ko na baka maging positive ako at kung sakali nga maging ganun ano na ang gagawin ko pero pinilit ko libangin ang sarili ko at wag mag isip ng ano pa man. so after 2 weeks tumawag yung nurse saken di mismo yung doctor ko, nakausap ko yung nurse at sinasabi nya na kelangan ko magpa test ulit kasi ang naging resulta ay "Positive", Na shock ako that time na tumawag yung nurse saken kaharap ko ang nanay at kapatid ko so talagang na shock ako at nagalit sa nurse na kausap ko sa phone at sabi ko di totoo yung sinasabi nya na positive ako at baka nagkamali lang ang laboratory sa pag test ng dugo ko the next day nagpunta agad ako sa clinic at nakausap ko yung doctor ko at pinakita yung unang resulta na inditerminated it means di malaman kung neg or positive kaya kelangan ko magpa test ulit at yun ang tinatawag na western blot so nagpatest ako ulit para malaman kung ano ba talaga ang status ko after na kuhaan ako ng dugo ulit kelangan ko na nman mag antay ng ilang linggo para sa 2nd result doon na ko kinabahan at di makatulog sa kakaisip kasi maari nga na maging poz ako dahil nga nagkaroon ako ng unprotected sex at nung time na yon kakagaling ko lng sa sakit ng mga ilang araw at nagpatest ako agad.so ang ginawa ko nun pinilit kong maging kalmado pinilit kong libangin ang sarili ko at di ko pa rin nakakalimutan na magdasal dahil alam ko sa kabila ng mga kasalanan na nagawa ko naniniwala ako na papatawarin ako ng diyos patuloy akong nagdasal at ganun na rin ang nanay ko na magkakaroon ng miracles na magiging negative ang resulta pero nag failed ako sa paniniwala na di magiging positive, nasa harap na ko ng doctor ko at yun nga sinabi nya na ang result ay "Positive" na shock ako ng oras na yun at di ko na alam ang gagawin ko inisip ko na pano na lng ang magandang trabaho ko pano na lang ako hanggang sa nagpaalam ako sa aking doctor at habang naglalakad na ko pauwi lutang pa rin ang isip ko at di ko alam ang gagawin ko then kinagabihan tumawag ang nanay ko at nangamusta at tinanong nya ang naging resulta ng test, umiiyak ako habang nakikipag usap sa nanay ko at sinabi kong talagang positive sya at kelangan ko umuwi pero ayaw kong umuwi dahil iniisip ko na pano mawawalan ako ng trabaho pano pa ko makakatulong sa nanay ko at sa mga kapatid ko pero lalo akong naiyak sa sinabi ng nanay ko na "anak wag kang mag alala andito kami ng mga kapatid mo di ka namin iiwan sa sitwasyon mo ngayon wala tayong magagawa nangyari na kaya kelangan na nating tanggapin ng maluwal at wag na tayong mag sisihan lakasan mo ang loob mo at magtulungan tayong lahat at darating din ang araw na malalampasan natin ang pagsubok na ito ang isipin mo ay kalusugan mo andito ako anak para sayo wag mo ng isipin kung di ka makakatulong ang importante magkaroon ka ng acceptance tayong lahat at tanggapin ang katotohan." walang tigil ang patak ng luha ko at na realise ko na iba pa rin ang may pamilya kc kahit na anong dumating na bagyo sa buhay natin pamilya ang mas makakatulong sa atin mga magulang pa rin natin ang magtatayo sa ating pagkakadapa at patuloy nila itutuwid ang mga kamalian na nagawa natin kaya ang pamilya ko ang naging lakas ko sila ang naging sandigan ko upang lalo pang lumakas ang aloob para paglabanan ang sakit na ito at sa tulong na din ng diyos na lubos akong nagpapasalamat sa kanya dahil kahit kelan di pa rin nya ko pinabayaan at patuloy pa rin syang nagbibigay ng blessings. ngayon nasa pinas na ko at nagsisimula ng panibagong buhay at panibagong pag-asa na ang pag-asang ito ang magbibigay upang maituloy ko ang mga pangarap na nasimulan ko. kaya ko nagawa ang blog na ito upang mabigyan din ang lahat ng katulad ko na ipaalam na di pa huli ang lahat para tumayo ulit sa pagkakadapa at ituwid ang mga pagkakamali... isipin natin na may pag-asa pa para magsimula ulit at wag ng balikan pa ang nakaraan at ang pinaka importante ay wag tayong makakalimot sa pagdarasal dahil ang diyos palaging andyan na handang makinig sa bawat dalangin bsta higpitan lng natin ang pagkapit sa kanya at kahit anong mangyari wag tayong bibitaw sa kanya dahil walang imposible sa kanya.

Thank you LORD

Di nman mahirap ang magkaroon ng isang disease lalo na kapag alam natin na ang sakit na ito ay wala ng kagalingan at dumarating na di natin alam kung ano ang gagawin natin andyan yung mahirap iconfess sa pamilya natin at sa mga relatives or friends pero para saken na mas maganda na ang pamilya muna ang dapat makaalam kaysa sa ibang tao kc ang pamilya ang unag makaka unawa sa ating kalagayan lalo na ang magulang sila ang lubos na makakatulong sa atin palaging andyan ang kanilang suporta na kahit ano man mangyari di nman pwedeng panghabang buhay natin itatago ang ating kalagayan lalo lang mahihirapan ang ating kalooban. Ganyan din ang naranasan ko nung una kong nalaman na naging positive ako sa HIV nahirapan din ako na sabihin sa kanila pero nung nagkaroon ako ng chance na masabi doon ko naramdaman ang totoong kahulugan ng isang pamilya na andyan sila at tinatanggap ka nila ng buong puso kahit na ano pa man ang nangyari sa buhay mo sila pa rin ang magtatayo sa iyong pagkakadapa sila pa rin ang makakatulong kaya nung nasabi ko kung about sa kalagayan ko tinanggap ako ng lubusan lalo na ang aking nanay bibigyan ako ng lakas ng loob para lumaban sa sakit na ito at patuloy silang sumusuporta kaya nagpapasalamat ako sa pamilya ko sa nanay ko at sa mga kapatid ko na palaging andyan at palaging umuunawa at patuloy na nagmamahal saken... maraming salamat po at higit sa lahat nagpapa salamat ako kay LORD na binigyan nya ko ng isang pamilya na mapagmahal at binigyan nya ko ng isang nanay na maunawain sa kabila na sya ang nasaktan ng lubos at salamat LORD sa patuloy ng mga lessings na binibigay nyo sa amin di nyo pa rin kami pinababayaan at alam ko na kasama namin kayo sa araw-araw ng aming buhay at ginagabayan at tinutulungan upang mapaglabanan ang mga pagsubok sa aming buhay... maraming salamat po

I refuse to be discouraged

I refused to be discouraged To be sad, or to cry;
I refuse to be downhearted, and here's the reason why... I have a God who's mighty, Who's sovereign and supreme;
I have a God who loves me, and I am on His team.
He is all wise and powerful, Salvation is the game; Though everything is changeable, My God remains the same.
My God knows all that's happening; Beginning to the end, His presence is my comfort, He is my dearest friend.
When sickness comes to weaken me, To bring my head down low, I call upon my mighty God; Into His arms I go.
When circumstances threaten to rob me from my peace; He draws me close unto His breast, Where all my strivings cease.
And when my heart melts within me, and weakness takes control; He gathers me into His arms, He soothes my heart and soul.
The great "I AM" is with me, My life is in His hand, The "Son of God" is my hope, It's in His strength I stand.
I refuse to be defeated, My eyes are on my God; He has promised to be with me, as through this life I trod.
I'm looking past all my circumstances, To Heaven's throne above; My prayers have reached the heart of God, I'm resting in His love.
I give God thanks in everything,
My eyes are on His face;
The battle's His, the victory is mine; He'll help me win the race.

the blessings

Dear friends,

Your blessings (divine health, wholeness, good success, peace) have been bought by Jesus’ precious blood. Jesus won our victory at the cross where He met every demand of the law, bore every one of our sins in His own body, paid our debt in full, and gave us His very own righteousness so that we can always have God’s acceptance and favor on our side. Today, when you believe in Christ’s finished work, you will receive every blessing that He has purchased for you.

Signs and Symptoms of HIV/AIDS

The Facts on HIV / AIDS

AIDS (Acquired immune deficiency syndrome) was first recognized in North America in the early's 1980's. It is caused by a virus known as HIV (human immunodeficiency virus). HIV infections has become a worldwide epidemic. About 33 million people are currently ith the virus.

In North America, the virus has infected nearly a million people and killed almost a half a million people to date. At the end of 2005, about 58,000 people In Canada had been infected with HIV and of these, an estimated 15,000 (27%) were unaware of their infection.

HIV is more common among certain populations at risk. Such as people who inject illicit drugs, and bisexuals and gay men. HIV infections are also increasing among women, Aboriginal peoples, and african and carribean communities.


CAuses of HIV/AIDS

The virus can be found in the blood, semen, vaginal fluid, and breastmilk of infected people. HIV is also found in saliva, sweat, and tears, though not in high enough amounts to transmit the virus to another person. There are no known cases of anyone catching HIV through sneezing, shaking hands, or from toilets seats or mosquito bites.

The two most common ways to to be infected with HIV . HIV may be transmiited through unprotected heterosexual or homesexual, vaginal, anal, or oral sex. although the risk of infection is lower with oral sex. It is still important to use protection during oral sex, such as a dental dam (a piece of latex to cover the vagina during oral sex) or a condom. HIV can also be passed on thorugh perinatal infection, where mothers who have HIV are at risk of giving the disease to the baby during birth. The risk of perinatal infection is declining with new treatments. Breastfeeding by an infected mother can also transmit HIV.

Once HIV enters the bloodstream, it takes over cells vital to the immune response known as CD+ lymphocites. The virus then inserts its own genes into the cell, turning it into a miniature factory that produces more copies of the virus. Slowly, the amount of virus in the blood goes up and the number of healthy CD+ cells goes down. The destruction of CD+ cells interferes with the body's ability to fight off infections and other disease.


Sypmtom and Complications of HIV/AIDS

Sypmtoms of HIV infection appear 2 to 12 weeks after exposure. at this point the virus begins rapidly taking over immune cells in the blood. The symptoms of this phase are flu-like and include;

• Diarrhea
• fatigue or weakness
• fever
• headache
• joint pain
• night sweats
• rash
• swollen glands
• weight loss
• yeast infection (of the mouth or vagina) that last a long tine occur frequently

When the symptoms begin to appear, the paerson with HIV is very infectious.  The symptoms usually go away within a week to a month, and the person will feel fine again. Hoever, the symptoms may return from time to time. The symptoms of HIV are similar to symptoms of other disease. The only way to know for sure wether you are HIV-positive is to be tested. After infection with HIV, it can take 3 months for antiodies to the virus to be detectable in the blood. On average, it takes about 22 days to develop antibodies. This called serconversio. After seroconversion occurs, the virus can be deleted using a blood test.

After the initial symptoms go away, the body's immune system tries to control the virus. The immune system can keep the virus at bay for a while, but it can't completely get rid of it. Many people will feel fine for years before their immune system weakens and they develop AIDS. Without treatment, about half of HIV-positive people develop AIDS within 10 years of infection. Some people develop AIDS within a few years of infection. A few, called long-term non-progressors , do not develop AIDS until much later. Many factors affect timeframe to develop AIDS, Including medications and the person's general health and lifesytyle.

AIDS is term applied to advanced HIV disease.  AIDS is defined as having HIV and an opportunistic infection (an infection by a microorganism that ordinarily does not cause disease unless the immune system is weakened) normally associated with AIDS. these infections can be bacterial, fungal, viral, or parasitic. Examples of opportunistic infections include toxoplasmosis, pneumocystis pneumonia, cryptococcal meningitis, progressive multifocal leukoencephalopathy (PML), cryptosporidium, cytomegalovirus, and mycobacterium avium complex (MAC). With the use of better medications to treat HIV, The risk of opportunistic infections has dropped over the years; however , people with AIDS will usually need to take medications (such as antibiotics) to prevent opportunistic infections.

People who have AIDS are also more likely to develop cancer, especially cancers of the immune system (lymphomas). Another cancer common for people with AIDS is Kaposi's sarcoma, A type of cancer that cause bluish red nodules on the legs and that spreads to the lymph system. Women with AIDS are prone to developing cancers of the cervix. Gay men with HIV have the higher rates of infections by HPV, a virus linked to anal cancer, and precancerous HPV strains.

Childrean with AIDS tend to get common childhood infections like conjuctivitis, otitis, and tonsilitis, but they experience symptoms much worse than the infections usually causes.

excessive weight loss or "wasting syndrome" is a problem for approximately 20% of people who have infection. It is associated with an enexpected loss of 10% or more of normal body weight, plus chronic diarrhea (30 days or more) or chronic weakness with casing dementia that gets worse over time.

ANTI-RETROVIRAL (ARV) DRUGS

HIV Prevention and HIV / AIDS Prognosis

HIV Prevention

Despite significant efforts, there is no effective vaccine againts HIV. The only way to prevent infection by the virus is to avoid behaviors that put you at risk, such as sharing needles or having unprotected sex. In this context, unprotected sex means sex without a barrier such as CONDOM. because condom breaks, even they are not perfect protection. Many people infected with HIV don't have any symptoms. There is no way to know with certainty wether a sexual partner is infected. here are some prevention strategies.

• Abstain from sex. This obviously has limited appeal, but it absolutely protects againts HIV transmission by this route.
• Have sex with a single partner who is uninfected. mutaul monogamy between uninfected partners eliminates the risk of sexual tranamission of HIV.
• Use a condom in other situations. Condom offer some protection if used properly and consistently. Occasionally, they may break or leak. Only condoms made of latex should be used. Only water-based lubricants should be used with latex condomss.
• Do not share needles or inject illicit drugs.
• If you working in a health-care field, follow recommended guidlines for protecting yourself againts needle sticks and exposure to contaminated fluids.
• If you have engaged in risky behaviors, get tested to see if you have HIV
• The risk of HIV transmission from a pregnant woman to her baby is significantly reduced if the mother takes medications during pregnancy, labor, and delivery and her baby takes medications for the first six weeks of life. Even shorter courses of treatment are effective, though not as optimal. The key is get tested for HIV as early as possible in pregnancy. In consultation with their physician, many women op to avoid breastfeeding to minimize the risk of transmission after the bay is born.

HIV / AIDS Prognosis

There are no cure for HIV infection. Before we had any treatment for the virus , people with AIDS lived only for a couple of years. Fortunately, medications have sunstantially improved the outlook and survival rates. Prevention efforts have sharply reduced HIV infection in young children and have the potential to sharply limit new infections in other populations.

• Medications have extended the average life expectancy, and many people with HIV can expect to live for decades with proper treatment. An increasing number have a normal life expectancy if they adhere carefully to medication regimens.
• Medications help the immune system recover and fight infections and prevent cancers from occuring. Eventuall, the virus may become resistant to the available drugs, and the manifestation of AIDS may develop.
• Drugs used to treat HIV and AIDS do not eliminate the infection. It is important for the person to remember that he or she contagious even when recieving effective treatment.
• Intensive research efforts are being focused on developing new and better treatments. Although currently is no promising vaccine, work continues on this front.

HIV / AIDS Treatment and HIV / AIDS Medications

HIV / AIDS Treatment

Over the past years, several drugs have become available to fight both HIV infection and its associated infections and cancers. These drugs are called highly active antiretroviral theraphy and have substantially reduced HIV-related complications and deaths. However, medications do not cured HIV / AIDS. In one case, a patient treated for cancer apparently was cured of HIV through use of a stem cell transplant, but this "stem cell cure" is not recommented for HIV due to high risk of mortality and uncertain chances of success. Theraphy is initiated and individualized under the supervision of a physician who is an expert in the case of HIV-infected patients. A combination of a least three drugs is recommented to suppress the virus from replicating and boost the immune system.

• Reverse transcriptase inhibitors: These drug inhibit the ability of the virus to make copies of itself. The following are examples:

• Nucleoside or nucleotide reverse transcriptase inhibitors (NRITs). These include medications such as ZIDOVUDINE (AZT/Retrovir), didanosine (ddl/Videx), Zalcitabine (ddl/Hivid), Stavudine (d4T/Zerit), Lamivudine(3TC/Epivir), Abacavir (ABC/Ziagen), Emtriccitabine (FTC/Emtriva), and tenofovir (Viread).
• Non-nucleoside reverse trancriptase inhibitors (NNRTIS) are commonly used in combination with NTIs to help keep the virus from multiplying. Examples of NRRTIs are Efavirenz (Sustiva), Nevirapine (Viramune), Delavirdine( Rescriptor), and Etravirine ( Intelence). was approved by the U.S FDA in may 2011.

Antiretriviral viral drugs stop viral replication and delay the development of Aids. However, they also have side eefects that can be severe. They include decreased levels of red or white blood cells, inflammation of the pancrease, liver toxicity, rash, gastrointestinal problems, elevated cholesterol level, diabetes, abnormal body-fat distribution, and painful nerve damage. An expert in infectious diseases should be consulted if the patient needs concomitant treatment for diseasea such as cancer or hepatitis C.


Follow-up

People with HIV infection should be under the care of a physician who is experienced in treating the infection. All people with HIV should be counseled about avoiding the spread of the disease. Infected individuals are also educated about the disease process, and attempts are made to improve the quality of their life.

THE ACCEPTANCE

play mo habang nagbabasa ka

Minsan sa buhay natin may mga pagkakamali tayong nagagawa... mga pagkakamali na hindi natin alam kung ano ang magiging resulta at malalaman na lng natin kapag huli na ang lahat...


Ang hirap tanggapin na ang isang pagkakamali ay dadalhin mo pang habang buhay. Na diagnos ako ng HIV+ last Feb 2012 nung tumawag yung nurse saken pero di ako naniwala at sabi ko baka nagkakamali lng sila sa result then sabi ng nurse na pinababalik ako for my another test at yun yung tinatawag na western blot after 2 weeks na pag aantay sa 2nd test ko im still praying na maging negative sya at naniniwala ako na di ako magiging positive. After 2 weeks tumawag ang doctor ko at pinapupunta nya ko sa clinic at dumating na daw ang resulta habang papunta ako halo-halo ang nasa isip ko na baka maging positive ako at pano na lng ang magandang career ko sa abroad at kung maging positive nga ko ano ang makukuha kong trabaho sa pinas na halos di na ko sanay magtrabaho dito at sa 8 yrs na pagtratrabaho ko sa abroad nakasanayan ko na ang buhay abroad at ang trabaho ko at iniisip ko na pano ko sasabihin sa family ko lalo na sa nanay ko na positive ako habang iniisip ko ito may halong kaba at pagluha, at ng pagdating ko sa clinic nagpunta ako agad sa doctor ko at tinanong ko agad ang resulta at sinabi nya talagang positive ako HIV. that time di ko alam ang gagawin ko at di ko namamalayan na tumutulo na pala ang mga luha ko habang naglalakad at tinatanong ko sa sarili ko na hanggang kelan na lng ako tatagal sa mundong ito at hanggang sa pag uwi ko sa bahay wala akong ginawa kung di umiyak kapag nag iisa ako pero di ko pinapahalata sa mga employer ko at lalo na sa nanay ko at sa kapatid ko. Ang hirap kong tanggapin sa sarili ko na isa na akong HIV+ minsan natanong ko ang diyos BAKIT AKO PA??? bakit ako na di nman nakakalimot magdasal...bakit ako na may maayos na career at maraming pangarap sa buhay at gusto kong makatulong sa family ko. gabi-gabi lagi akong umiiyak at iniisip ko na anong mangyayari saken halos lahat nawala saken ang magandang trabaho ko ang mga pangarap ko, pero ganun pa man patuloy pa rin akong nagdarasal at lalo akong kumapit sa diyos. At ng isang araw pinakita ko sa nanay ko ang pangalawang test di siya nagpakita ng pag iyak sa harap ko pero ramdam ko ang sakit na nararamdaman nya kaya pinigil ko pa rin na umiyak sa harap nya pero alam kong nasaktan ko sya ng sobra.. nasaktan ko ang kanyang damdamin at lingid sa akin habang nakikipag usap sya sa kapatid ko umiiyak sya at doon nya nasabi ang lahat awa at galit sa sarili ko ang nararamdaman ko that time dahil sa kabila ng mga paghihirap nya at alam kong di rin nya alam ang gagawin nung nalaman nya ang status ko hanggang sa tinawagan nya ako sa phone ko at kinausap nya ko doon lng ako umiyak ng umiyak at sinabing "Nay anong gagawin ko po" nung time din yun di ko narinig na magalit at di nya ko sinisisi sa nangyari at ramdam ko na pinipigil nya ang kanyang pag iyak habang sinasabi nya saken na "Kaya mo yan anak andito ako bilang magulang mo di kita pababayaan andito pa rin kami ng mga kapatid mo na handang sumuporta sayo...lakasan mo ang loob at kakayanin natin itong pagsubok na dumating sa buhay natin." walang tigil ang pagtulo ng luha ko habang sinasabi nya ang mga salitang yun, pinilit nya kong itayo sa pagkakadapa ko at binigyan ng lakas ng loob upang harapin ang problema na dumating sa amin. at doon ko na realise na may pag-asa pa at hindi pa pala huli ang lahat upang magsimula ulit at mamuhay ng normal at ipagpatuloy ang mga pangarap na nasimulan ko at doon ko narealise na ang isang pagkakamali na nagawa ko ay pwede pang itama kasabay ng panibagong buhay at sa patuloy na pagdarasal sa diyos dahil alam kong di nya ko pinababayaan ganun din ang family ko dahil sa kanila nagkaroon ako ng acceptance sa sarili ko at naka move on at alam ko na ang blog na ito ay ginagamit na instrumento ng diyos upang makatulong sa ibang tao at para mamulat at matulungan na maituwid ang mga pagkakamaling nagawa nila lalo na sa mga taong di pa nakaka alam tungkol sa isang disease na pwedeng sa isang iglap ay maging katapusan ng ating buhay. Sa mga taong katulad ko na HIV+ di pa huli ang lahat at di pa ito katapusan ng mundo may pag-asa pa tayo pede pa tayong tumayo sa pagkakadapa at ituwid ang mga pagkakamaling nagagawa natin hindi pa huli na magbagong buhay kahit anong kasalana natin kaya pa rin tayong tanggapin ng diyos sa pamamagitan ng paghingi ng kapatawaran sa kanya lagi natin ipagdasal na bigyan tayo ng magandang kalusugan dahil ang magandang kalusugan ay tungo sa mahabang buhay. sama sama tayong magtulungan may positive ka man or negative at naniniwala ako na sa sama samang pagkakaisa ng bawat pilipino magtatagumpay ang bansabg pilipinas na labanan ang pagdami at pagkalat ng sakit na HIV/AIDS HINDI PA HULI ANG LAHAT SIMULAN NA NATIN!!!

HIV/ AIDS Symptoms and Signs, When to Seek Medical Care, Diagnosis

HIV/ AIDS Symptoms and Signs

Many people with HIV do not know they are infected. In the united States, it is likely that 20 % of HIV-positive individuals are unware of their infection.

• Many people do not develop symptoms after they first get infected with HIV. Others have a history of a flu-like illness within several days to week after exposure to the virus. Early HIV symptoms also include Fever, Headache, Tiredness, and enlarged lymh nodes in the neck. these symptoms usually dissappear on their own within a few weeks. after that, the person feels normal and has no symptoms. This asympomatic pahse often lasts for years.
• Theprogression of disease varies widely among individuals. This state may last from a few months to more than 10 year

1. During this period, the virus continues to multiply actively and infects and kills the cells of the immune system.
2. The virus destroys the cells are the primary infection fighters, a type of white blood cell called CD4 cells.
3. Even hough the person has no symptoms, he or she is contagious and can pass HIV to others through the routes listed below.

***AIDS is the later stage of HIV infection, when the body begins losing its abillity to fight infections. Once the CD4 cell count falls low enough, an infected person is said to have AIDS. Sometimes, the diagnosis of AIDS is made because the person has unsual infection or cancers that show how weak the immune system is.

• The infections that happen with AIDS are called opportunistic infections because they take advatage of the opportunity to infect a weakend host.

            ***The infections include 9but are not limited to)

•  Pneumonia caused by pnemocystis, which causes wheezing:
• Brain infection with toxoplasmosis which can cause trouble thinking or symptoms that mimic a stroke;
• Widespread infection with a bacteria called MAC ( mycobacterium avium complex) which can cause fever and weight loss;
• Yeast infection of the swallowing tube (esophagus) which causes pain with swallowing;
• Widespread disease with certain fungi like histoplasmosis. which can cause fever, cough, anemia, and other problems

***A weakened immune system can also lead to other unusual conditions:

• Lymphonia in (a from of cancer of the lympoid tissue) in the brain, which can cause fever and trouble thinking;
• A cancer of the soft tissues called Kaposi's sarcoma, which causes brown, reddish, or pupple spotts that develop on the skin or in the mouth.

When To Seek Medical Care

If you have engaged in unprotected sex outside of a mutaully monogamous relationship or shared needles while using drugs, you should have an HIV test. early and treatment of the infection can slow the growth of HIV.

• If you are pregnat and infected with HIV, you may be able to reduce the risk to your unborn child by getting treatment early.
• you can also avoid infecting others if you know that you have the disease. Testing is available anonymously and confidentially.

People known to have HIV infection or AIDS should go to the hospital any time they develop high fever, shortness of breath, coughing up blood, severe diarrhea, sever chest or abdominal pain, generalized weakness, severe headache, seizures, confusion, or a change in mental status.
 These may be the indication of a life-threatening condition for which an urgent evaluation in the hospital's emergency department is recommended. all infected people should be under the regular care of physician skilled in the treatment of HIV and AIDS.


HIV/ AIDS Diagnosis

HIV infection is commonly diagnosed by blood test. There are three main types of test that are commonly used:

1. HIV antibody tests
2. RNA test
3. A combination test detects both antibodies and a piece of the virus called the p24 protein. In addtition, a blood test known as a western blot is used to confirm the diagnosis

No test is perfect. Tests may be falsely positive or falsely negative. For example, it can take some time for the immune system to produce enough antibodies for the antibody test to turn positive. This time period commonly reffered to as the "testing window period" and may last six weeks to three months following infection Therefore, if the initail antibody test is negative, a repeat test should be performed three months later. Early testing is crucial, because early treatment for HIV helps people avoid or minimize complications. Furhtermore, high-risk behaviours can be avoided, thus preventing the spread of the virus to others.

Testing for HIV is usually a two-step process. First, an inexpensive screening test is done. If that est is positive, a second test (western blot) is done to confirm the result. Antibody tests are the most common initial screening test used. There are different types of antibody screening tests available.

• Most commonly, blood i drawn for an enzyme immonoassay (EIA). The test is usually run in a local laboratory, so results can take one to three days to come back.
• Other tests can detect antibodies in body fluids other than blood such as saliva, urine, and vaginal secretions. Some of these are designed to be rapid tests that produce results in approximately 20 minutes. These tests have accuracy rates similar to traditional blood tests.
• All positive antibody screening tets must be confirmed with a follow-up blood test called the western blot to make a positive diagnosis. If the the antibody test and the western blot are both positive, the likelihood of a person of being HIV infected is>99 %. Sometimes, the western blot is "indertiminate," meaning that it is neither positive no negative. In these cases, the tests are usually repeated at a later date. In addition, an RNA test for the virus might be done.

Other tests, such as those that look for the virus RNA and the combination test. are not commonly used for screening.

HIV/AIDS Overview and HIV/ AIDS Transmission

HIV/ AIDS Overview

HIV (human immunodeficiency virus) infection has now spread to every country in the world.
Statistic show that approimately 40 million are currently living with HIV infection, and an estimated 25 million have died from this disease. The scourage of HIV has been particularly devastating in sub-saharan africa and south africa, but infection rates in other countries remain high, In the united states, approximately 1 million people are currently infected. here are a few key points about the disease:

• Globally, 85% of HIV transmission is through heterosexual intercourse.
• In the united states. approximately one-third of new diagnose appear to be related to heterosexual transmission. male to male sexual contact still accounts for more than half of new diagnose in the U.S Intravenous drug use contribute to the remaining cases. Because the diagnose may occur years after infection, it is likely that a higher propotion of recent infections are due to heterosexual transmission.
• Infection in women are increasing . Worldwide, 42 % of people with HIV are women. In the unted states , approximately 25 % of new diagnoses are in women, and the propotion is rising.
• There is good news on the front. New HIV infection in U.S. Children have fallen dramatically. this is largely a result of testing and treating infected mothers as well asa establishing uniform testing guidelines for blood products.

In order to understand HIV and acquired immunodeficiency syndrome (AIDS), it is important to understand the meanings behind these terms.

• HIV stands for the human immunodeficiency virus. It is one of a group of viruses known as retroviruses. After getting into body, the virus kills or damages cells of the body's immune system. The body tries to keep up by making new cells or trying to contain the virus, but eventually the HIV wins out and progressively destroys the body's ability to fight and certain cancers.
• The virus structure has been studied extensively, and this has helped scientist develop new treatment for HIV/ AIDS. Although all HIV viruses are similar, small varations or mutations in the genetic material of the virus create drug-Resistand viruses. Larger variations in the viral genes are found in different viral subtypes. Currently, HIV-1 is the predominal subtype that causes HIV/ AIDS.

HIV/ AIDS Transmission

HIV is transmitted when the virus enters the body, usually by injecting infected cells or semen. There are several possibles ways in which the virus can enter.

• Most commonly, HIV infection is spread by having sex with an infected partner. The virus can enter the body through the lining of the vagina, vulva, penis, rectum, or mouth during sex. Although intercourse is the primary risk factor, oral sex transmission is also possible.
• HIV frequently spreads among injections-drug users who share needles or syringe that are contaminated with blood from an infected person.
• Women can transmit HIV to their babies during pregnancy or birth, when infected maternal cells enter the baby's circulation, or through breastfeeding.
• HIV can be spread in helath-care seetings through accidental needle sticks or contact with contaminated fluids.
• Very rarely, HIV spreads through transfusion of contaminated blood or blood components. All blood products are tested to minimize this risk. If tissues or organs from infectedperson are transpalanted, the recipient may acquire HIV. donors are now tested for HIV to minimize this risk.
• HIV has been spread when organs from infected person are transplanted into uninfected recipient. Because donors are tested for HIV routinely in the united states, this does not usually happen. However, a recent incident in taiwan occured when the HIV test results for the donor were mistakenly thought to have been negative.
• People who already have a sexually transmitted infections, such as syphilis, genital herpes, chlamydial infection, human papillomavirus. (HPV), gonnorhea, or bacterial vaginosis, are more likely to cquire HIV infection during sex with an infected partner.

*** The virus not spread through casual contact such as preparing food, sharing towels and bedding, or via swimming pools, telephones, or toilet seats. The virus is also unlikely to be spread by contact with saliva, unless it is conatminated with blood.

HIV Infection

AIDS truth exposed: Un-cut exclusive footage from House of Numbers

A Letter from GOD

Dear Friends,

God walk beside you yesterday
Today you're in his care, don't worry about tomorrow
because God's already there.

God answers our prayers in 3 ways:

1. Yes I will give you what you want.
2. No, I will give you something better than what are you asking for;
3. Wait, and I will give you the best, but in his own good times.


God bless all your plans and dreams,
May the each fall into place, Grace, Courage and strenthg
be with you for the future you will face.

Always keep on praying to GOD
God Loves you so much!

In Christ

Kutless - What Faith Can Do (Lyrics)

Rejoice in the Lord

CHOOSE TO REJOICE

But at midnight Paul and Silas were praying and singing hymns to God, and the prisoners were listening to them. ACTS 16:25

"Your joy as a Christian should not depend on your circumstances. Joy comes from God, and therefore it cannot be affected by what is outside of you. Don't be fooled into letting the actions of others determine your joy. True joy comes from knowing that God Himself lives within you and has fellowship with you, regardless of your environment. Real joy lies in the knowledge that holy God has completely forgiven you of every sin, and even now, He has a home prepared in heaven where you can spend eternity with Him (John 14:3). The circumstances of your life cannot change these truths!

Paul and Silas faced some of the most difficult circumstances imaginable. They were falsely accused, arrested, and imprisoned. They were beaten and shackled in the darkest, coldest section of the prison. But they refused to allow their horrific situation to dampen their joy! They did not blame God for allowing these things to happen to them. Instead, they praised Him for His goodness! In the darkness of the night, they prayed and they sang. God brought a miracle that released them from their chains, but perhaps the greater miracle was that His Holy Spirit could so fill them that even in their painful imprisonment they could overflow with joy!

Do not allow difficult events to cancel the joy of knowing you are a child of God. Choose to allow God's Spirit to fill you with His unquenchable joy, and your life will be a miracle to those who watch you face the trials that come."