20/10/11

13915

Know and understand HIV\AIDS and it’s effect on the human system.

HIV-Human Immunodeficiency Virus is the name of the name of the virus that causes AIDS-Acquired Immunodeficiency Syndrome that was first isolated in 1981.

The immune system is there to protect our bodies from foreign objects or organisms that can cause harm. The cells in the system that protect are macrophages and lymphocytes. When a foreign cell called a antigen enters the body the system forms a antigen that binds to the antibody and kills it.

The HIV virus is a retrovirus that has a unique enzyme called reverse transcriptase that integrate with the DNA of the body cell and change the cell chromatin and then the cell loses its way to fight infection.

The ELIZA test is used to test for an antibody that has been formed against the HIV virus. Because the body takes 5-12 weeks to make antibodies if infected with the HIV virus, this time is called the window period, where you can’t be sure if you have the virus or not. No vaccinations are available against HIV, because it is a Retrovirus.

When a baby is born it still have the mothers antibodies in their bodies to help them fight against infections, and in about 6 months time the baby own immune system starts to develop and if there is no HIV in their cells, the HIV test will be negative.

People are asked to do the test voluntary to protect them selves and there is benefits if a positive result is detected early. The rapid test is just a screening test and is fast, low in cost and simple. When the test is positive a ELISA test is done for it is far more sensitive and reliable.

The HIV virus shut down your immune system, and you acquire other infections that makes you sick and tired and unable to work. The best way to go is to take the Antiviral drugs and eat healthy and do exercise and rest a lot and to have safe sex.

A health professional will give counselling on what HIV and AIDS is and how you get infected, what health benefits there is and that you status will be treated confidentially.

After the test it is important to know how to protect yourself.

The virus can be detected from 6 weeks to 1 year after infection and the first stage the symptoms is fatigue, fever, swollen glands, headache. The next stage lasts 3 to 5 years with chronically swollen glands in neck, armpits and groin. In stage 3 the opportunistic infections develop. In stage 4, the terminal stage patients suffer from AIDS dementia, loss of function of motor skills, cognition and behaviour.

The chances of survival depend on the stage when HIV has been detected.

Know and understand how HIV\AIDS is transmitted.

HIV can only be tansmitted through direct contact body fluids, and sexual intercourse the main way of transmittance. The second way most patient gets HIV is through sharing needles is they are drug addicts or when health professionals accidentally prick themselves with a needle.

The pregnant mother must have protected sex, to ensure her baby stays negative. The baby can be infected during the birth and a caesarean is recommended.

The mother must eat healthy, and take her medicine regularly and have protected sex that is sex with a condom.

Drug addicts that share the same needle, and some of them sells sex for drugs, and are at a great risk to contract HIV. They usually eat unhealthy and that is also not good if you have the virus.

The South African drug transfusion services spend a lot of money to test all blood products for HIV and their blood product are safe to use.

Know what behaviour is safe and what behaviour carries risks of HIV transmission.

Because HIV is transmitted through body fluids and especially sex,  multiple partners and unprotected sex  and the gay community are at great risk to contract the disease.

To use condoms and to have one sex partner is one of the best ways to protect yourself.

To have more than one sex partner and have sex without a condom is high risk. To share needle if drug addict is high risk. To get a blood transfusion is low risk.

Situations in the workplace, like sharing bathroom with a HIV positive patient is low risk. To kiss and hug is no risk at all.

Be careful if someone cut himself, or if blood spatter gets into your eye’s and working with blood products. Be always aware that is going on around you. Be careful if assisting in an accident, use gloves and a mask if available.

STD-sexual transmitted diseases are usually an indicator of the sexual behaviour of a person and must be a red light the risk of having HIV or contracting HIV. Untreated STD already cause infection in the reproductive organs and therefore is the risk of fluid transmission higher.

Know what guidelines and assistance are available to support workers with HIV\AIDS

No discrimination against new employee, cannot asked their status before applying for a job, cannot asked to be tested while working as your employee. Must have time of for sick leave, to go the clinic to get medication.

The worker can be discriminated against by management or co-workers. The worker can be sick a lot, cannot perform 100% in workplace. The employer can give a post that is light work until worker feels better. The  employer must give enough sick leave and a medical aid to help support the costs of medication.

Medical aid can help cut the cost of medication, HIV support groups can help with emotional needs and psychiatrists can help with other needs that the family can have.

HAART-Highly active antiretroviral therapy is available and a doctor will decide what therapy the best will be in your situation.

The workers have a right not to be discriminated against, be treated as equal to other workers. The workers have a responsibility to look after their health, to take the medication as prescribed and to be responsible in their personal life eg sex life.

Be alert in the work place, if someone is chronic sick let them go to the doctor and if someone gets hurt and there is blood spatter or other body fluids in the environment, be careful.

Someone in the workplace must be a first aider, a safety officer and emergency kit must be available at all times and be fitted with disposable gloves and masks in case of a accident.

Know and understand the implications of the HIV\AIDS pandemic

Aids orphans are in need of a home, clothes, food and safety and they must be educated and must be cared for with love and affection. This large number of orphans is a big economic burden on the state. Suddenly there was this lot of orphans, with nowhere to go. Institutions must be build and accommodate this children. Is the state doing something about this?

With only children and elderly persons to run the economy, at some stage there will be no workers to do the work, from whom will the children get the expertise to do the work and the old people will have to work until a late age. The burden of the medication and hospitalization on the employers and the medical aids, more people have to be employed to do the same work, to cover for the persons unable to work. The medical costs will multiply because of all the persons without a medical aid that have to be on medication for HIV, hospitalization of all the sick people.

The HIV infected person will feel sick when on medication, unable to work to do house chores and other family members usually the children have to do the work, at home and cope with their schoolwork and treat the sick persons. Medication will be a big part of the income as well as food for the sick.

In the workplace the sick person will not be able to work 100 %, other people have to work harder, or new people have to hired, having a impact on the product that are produced and on the end price of the product. The persons buying the product has to pay more for the product. More people are infected, more people getting sick and unable to work and more people to do the same work or other people to work longer hours, costing the employee more to produce a product, the product prise will go up to cover the costs of production at the end it all have an impact on the economy as a whole.