Observations

This week I would like to give you my observations on the posts that have been made regarding our Questions of the Week. Each week we are given a different scenerio that makes us think about how we or a loved one would handle being HIV positive or being around someone who is HIV positive. Would we save a life while putting ourselves at risk of contracting the HIV virus? Would we choose life over death? How would our loved ones treat us once they found out we are HIV positive? Most of the posts chose life. A life being HIV positive is better than no life at all. Most all would put themselves at risk of becoming HIV positive so as to save another human beings life. Although some choose to live only because of their small children, in the end, no one wants to take any unnecessary risks in contracting this virus. Most of the posts are showing that we are becoming educated on HIV/AIDS and are coming to terms with this deadly virus but some things are hard to change. Many still show that although they know they can't get the virus from kissing, hugging or casual contact, we still have that uneasy feeling in the pit of our stomaches when we knowingly are around someone who has the virus. The stigma associated with being HIV positive is hard to overlook. Fear can consume someone and control much of their life even with education. This virus brings about the fear of dying, the fear of years of illness, the fear of being looked at as a leopard. But many of us have no idea who is HIV positive or not. It could be the man sitting next to us at church, the lady checking us out at the grocery store or the child at the daycare where your children play. And yet with all of this fear and education we have as well as the stigma still associated with the HIV virus we continue to engage in risky behavior.

My tidbit for this week is from http://webmail.att.net/wmc/en-US/v/wm/4ACB5E37000117D.... This internet article from the American Medical Association Newsletter dated October 6, 2009 says that the requirement for separate HIV test consent forms is blocking many people from getting tested. Apparently Massachusetts is one of only a few states that still require a separate consent form from patients to authorize HIV testing. With so many not knowing their HIV status, there is new legislation requesting that the separate consent form be abolished. Being HIV positive is no longer thought of as a dealth sentence and so more people who know about their status would be able to get treatment sooner and help to stop the spread of the virus.

Web: AMA (2009). Separate HIV test consent form requirement impedes life-saving diagnoses, experts say, retrieved Oct. 6, 2009, from http://webmail.att.net/wmc/en-US/v/wm/4ACB5E37000117D....