|
Prepare Yourself before
having a blood test
- If you are at risk of HIV and
the test shows that you are
positive, ask yourself these
following questions:
- Are you prepared for the
result?
- What will be your reaction to
learning that you are positive?
Will you be depressed?
- Do you have anyone to talk to?
- How will you handle the
situation?
You have the right to have or
not have a HIV test. A person’s
right with regard to HIV blood
testing is enshrined in
constitutional law
Section 31. “A person
shall enjoy the right and
liberty in his or her life and
person…….” Hence, to force
anyone to take a blood test in
any circumstances, including
annual health check ups for
staff, for recruitment purposes
or any other reason is
considered a violation of human
rights and it is against the
law.
Guidelines to follow after
receiving your blood test result
Negative case
If you need to maintain a
negative result, it is important
to protect yourself every time
you have sex and/or never share
needles with others when
injecting drugs, otherwise, it
is still possible for you to
contract HIV in the future.
If you have a positive result
When learning that you are
positive, you might feel
confused, sad, depressed,
worried or have other negative
emotions. You might need to
consider how you will cope with
these feelings. If you do not
know what to do, you might need
to talk to someone. You can
contact the organisation below,
where counselors are available
to talk to you.
Nowadays, the treatment of
HIV/AIDS has advanced
considerably. HIV/AIDS is
considered a chronic disease
that is able to be controlled
and can be treated. PLWHAs are
able to live long and normal
lives if they have appropriate
treatment.
If you know your HIV status
before you get sick, it will
allow you to seek appropriate
health care and have a physical
check-up and a blood test to
access your immune status (CD4
level). This will help you to
devise a treatment plan and
enable you to monitor your
immune system in order to get
timely treatment with ARV when
needed.
Many PLWHA may contract an
opportunistic infection (OI).
These OIs are curable but need
appropriate care and immediate
and continual quality treatment.
All public hospitals have the
capacity to treat these
diseases. When a CD4 count is
low enough to require treatment
with ARV, the patients are able
to exercise their right to
treatment in all health care
schemes including private health
insurance schemes, the social
security scheme, government
officer’s scheme, and the
national health care scheme.
HIV positive people, who know
that they are positive and are
still sexually active, need to
consider how they will prevent
themselves from infecting
others. For example, if your
partner is negative, how you
will protect them. If your
partner is positive, how you
will keep each other healthy.
May be a condom is the way to
solve many problems... if people
use it
Need more information on
HIV/AIDS?
Please contact….
AIDS ACCESS Foundation tel.
0-2372-2222 from 3:00 pm – 8:00
pm. daily
Anonymous Clinic: Tel.
0-2256-4109 Mon-Fri. 8:00 am-
7:00 pm, Sat. 8:00-4:00pm. |
