Infected AND PREGNANT

Dear Counsellor:

I am writing on behalf of my younger sister, who is too afraid to write. Her story is very depressing and I feel obligated to get some help for her.

My sister was an exotic dancer and she would dance for money at many nightclubs and other places. She met this foreigner, who said he wanted to help her. He took her overseas with him and married her. About one year later, the man took sick and died. It turned out that the cause of his death was AIDS. My sister had to return to Jamaica, but with HIV. She has been living with HIV for quite some time and looking really good.

Eventually, she met another man and became pregnant. I am very worried about the baby, but not sure how to help my sister. I heard that she could get treatment to prevent the baby from getting HIV. Is that true, and how could she get that treatment? She said she does not want any treatment because those treatments come with side effects. Please help me with the truth so I can help her.

Concerned Sister

Dear Concerned Sister:

Yes, it is indeed true that antiretroviral treatments are available to prevent mother-to-child transmission of HIV, the virus that causes AIDS. This means that a pregnant mother, who is infected with HIV, can have a baby who is not infected with HIV. Your sister must be encouraged to visit a health-care provider who is HIV knowledgeable about HIV so she can be better informed on how to protect her baby from becoming infected with HIV. Her pregnancy and HIV status must be discussed with a health-care provider right away.

Getting tested

Dear Counsellor:

I have lived a very promiscuous life in the past and I am very aware that my lifestyle may have exposed me to AIDS. How do I know if I have contracted AIDS?

Promiscuous Girl

Dear Promiscuous Girl:

HIV does not cause any specific symptoms. It is therefore not possible for you to know that you are infected without having an HIV test done. It is commendable that you want to know your status, so be sure to visit your health-care provider or a health clinic to discuss getting an HIV test done.

Being exposed

Dear Counsellor:

I'm a young adult and I am preparing to go to a tertiary institution, but I have a real problem. I want to study to work in the health-care sector, but my mother is worried that I may be exposed to HIV. I tried to convince her that HIV is now under control and gone are the days when we worry needlessly. Are health-care workers at risk of getting HIV on the job? Please respond to my letter so that my mother can see it. Thank you.

Worried Future Health-Care Worker

Dear Worried Future Health-Care Worker:

Health workers can prevent themselves from getting HIV, the virus that causes AIDS, on the job and have been very careful in doing so. However, they can be at risk of getting HIV on the job through needle-stick injury. That is the only significant risk and it's a very small risk.

On the other hand, health-care workers are very careful not to get pricked when they are taking blood or using any needles in patients. They have to do that in a way that is called universal precautions because they never know who is HIV-positive. Or sometimes the health-care worker know who is HIV-positive, but there are many patient whose blood the health-care worker will come in contact with and who neither the patient nor health- care worker knows the HIV status at that time. Health-care workers have to avoid needle-stick injuries with all patients at all times.

I'm suggesting that you help your mother to understand that your personal career choice is very important to you, and while you understand her concerns and fears, there is really no basis for this kind of fear. Therefore, her support at this time is absolutely necessary.

Sharing with an infected person

Dear Counsellor:

My son is HIV-infected and we live in the same house. I suspect he might have used my razor and my toothbrush occasionally. Should I be worried? He is on some kind of treatment for HIV and I can tell you he is doing very well.

Concerned Father

Dear Concerned Father:

HIV, the virus that causes AIDS, could possibly be transmitted by sharing a toothbrush or a razor because they are instruments that can cause bleeding, either from the gum or from small nicks in the skin. So it would be very bad practice to share your toothbrush or razor with your son who is HIV-infected. of course, sharing such personal items is not a practice that we would encourage between HIV- negative people, either.

For more information on condom use, HIV/AIDS and other sexually transmitted infections call the AIDS/STD Helpline, toll free: 1888-991-4444 or write to AIDS Affairs, c/o the Star, 7 North Street, Kingston.