INTRODUCTION TO HIV AIDS:

HIV/AIDS is one of the disease that can be transmitted from one person to another.

it is a disease that can cause one’s to loose life and many other thing

HIV AIDS TRANSMISSION DURING SEX

When an HIV/AIDS patience have sex with who did not have without using any security it is obviously that the virus will be transmitted to the other person because as they are engaging in sex, they will surely have a blood contact.

HIV/AIDS TRANSMISSION WITHOUT SEX

When an HIV/AIDS patience use any sharp object which consume his/her blood and give it to other without the disease we know it will surely transmitted.

there are some ways which women can do in preventing HIV/AIDS. it will be stated below

Women-Controlled Methods for Preventing HIV & Other Sexually Transmitted

“If the carnage of this pandemic has taught us anything, it’s the terrifying vulnerability of women. I feel I must say that the greatest single international failure in the response to HIV/AIDS, is the failure to intervene, dramatically, on behalf of women.”

- Stephen Lewis, United Nations Special Envoy for HIV/AIDS in Africa
at the Third International AIDS Society Conference,
Rio de Janeiro, Brazil, July 2005

The HIV epidemic is affecting women and girls in increasing numbers. In sub-Saharan Africa, where nearly two-thirds of HIV-infected people live, women are more than 1.3 times more likely to be infected than men.1 Young women between the ages of 15 and 24 are at even greater risk. They are three times more likely to be infected than young men in this age group and make up approximately three-quarters of young people who are HIV-positive in sub-Saharan Africa.2 These startling statistics highlight the immense need for female-controlled methods of preventing HIV, including the female condom, microbicides and the diaphragm.

An Existing Method: The Female Condom
The female condom is the only woman-initiated method that is known to be safe and effective in reducing the risk of pregnancy and the transmission of sexually transmitted infections (STIs). In addition, laboratory studies have demonstrated that the female condom blocks the passage of microorganisms, including HIV. The design of the female condom offers more protection to women than the male condom because the outer ring partially covers the external genitalia. The female condom also covers the vaginal area, which may offer more protection than the diaphragm, the sponge or the cervical cap which only cover the cervix. Studies in a variety of countries and cultures show that 50 to 93 percent of male and female participants found the female condom to be acceptable. For example, three-quarters of U.S. and Latin American women participating in a six-month contraception study stated that they liked the female condom and half said they would continue using it.3 The most common complaints about the female condom – aesthetics, difficulty to insert and noise – typically fade with repeated use. However, new condoms are being developed that address these concerns and may also be less expensive.

New Methods Being Tested: Microbicides
Microbicides are a promising woman-controlled method currently under development. Microbicides are substances designed to reduce transmission of HIV and/or other STIs when applied vaginally and will likely come in a variety of forms including gels, creams, films, suppositories or vaginal rings. Microbicides generally work through one or more of the following ways by: 1) boosting the body’s natural defenses against infection; 2) damaging the surface membranes of pathogens (infectious agents) rendering them ineffective; 3) binding to a pathogen or healthy cell before they are invaded by an infectious agent; and/or 4) preventing viruses from replicating in a cell.

Currently, there are more than 60 substances that are being studied as possible microbicides. Because of their different modes of actions, some microbicides will reduce the risk of pregnancy and STIs, including HIV, while others will only prevent infection. Therefore, women who want to conceive would be able to protect themselves from disease. Five microbicides are currently in Phase III trials, the final stage of testing, which will determine how much they reduce the risk of HIV infection and how safe they are for longterm use.4 Continued progress in these trials means a microbicide may be available within the next five to seven years.

It is estimated that the first microbicides will be 50-60 percent effective in preventing HIV – much lower than the 90-95 percent effectiveness rate of male condoms. However, microbicides offer an important alternative in those situations when male condom use is impossible. For example, if only 20 percent of people at risk of HIV use a microbicide that is 60 percent effective in protecting against HIV transmission, 2.5 million infections could be averted over three years.5 More than 60 studies have been conducted in developed and developing countries to determine the characteristics of an acceptable microbicide. Generally, findings show that interest in microbicides is higher in areas where women perceive their HIV risk to be greater. In addition, these studies indicate the need for a variety of products to meet the range of demands of a diverse consumer population.

An Old Method with New Potential: The Diaphragm
For thousands of years, women have used various forms of cervical barriers for reproductive health purposes. Women in ancient times used crocodile dung, lemon halves and beeswax plugs to prevent pregnancy. Developed in the late 19th century and widely used in the 1930s, today’s contraceptive diaphragms are made of latex or silicone and are up to 94 percent effective at preventing pregnancy when used with a spermicide.

Globally, a small percentage of women using contraception choose the diaphragm. However, studies in the last decade show that despite low usage rates, it is a very acceptable form of contraception for women in a range of countries. Research conducted by Bulut et al. in Colombia, Turkey and the Philippines revealed that women liked the diaphragm because it was safe and free from side effects and because it was woman-controlled. For example, a focus group participant stated:, “I like it because I can manipulate it. I do not need to ask my husband. I am responsible.”6

This finding is supported by another study from Madras, India, which demonstrated that participants were motivated to use the diaphragm and capable of overcoming challenges such as lack of privacy and lack of support from their husbands.7 Women valued the diaphragm most for the absence of negative health consequences they had experienced with the pill and intrauterine device (IUD) including abdominal pain, nausea and headaches. New research is now re-examining the diaphragm as a potential alternative for women to protect themselves from HIV and STIs for several reasons. First, recent evidence suggests that the surface of the cervix contains a high concentration of HIV-susceptible cells, resulting in a heightened vulnerability to HIV infection. Second, compared to the thicker cell lining of the vagina, the cervix is more fragile, covered only by a single layer of delicate cells. Thus, it is biologically more vulnerable to trauma, and therefore STI/HIV infection, than other areas of the reproductive system. Third, research shows that the cervix is the preferential infection site for many STIs, and the presence of STIs increases HIV transmission risk and vice versa. Finally, by shielding the cervix, the diaphragm may also reduce the transmission of STIs/HIV in the upper genital tract (uterus, fallopian tubes and ovaries).

In addition, several observational studies have demonstrated that use of the diaphragm is associated with a reduced risk of STIs and other long-term effects.8 For example, three studies showed that diaphragm users had a reduced risk of contracting gonorrhea compared to women who did not use the diaphragm. Two other research studies indicated a reduced risk of pelvic inflammatory disease (a consequence of STIs) in diaphragm users as compared to non-users. However, because the purpose of these studies was not to test the efficacy of the diaphragm for STI prevention, and none were randomized controlled trials, research directly examining this question must first be conducted. Also, in these previous studies, diaphragms were used with the spermicide Nonoxynol-9, which is no longer recommended for women at risk for HIV, because it was found to increase susceptibility to infection.9 Therefore, more data on diaphragms – whether used alone or in combination with a microbicide – is needed.

Before embarking on an effectiveness trial, a first step was to examine the acceptability of the diaphragm as a potential STI/HIV prevention method. In a recent study in Zimbabwe among 189 women ages 16-46 who were inconsistent condom users, the diaphragm in combination with KY jelly was well accepted. Uptake was high, with 98 percent using the method at least once during the first two months.10 Findings (see table) also showed that women who said the diaphragm was easier to use than condoms were three times more likely to be consistent diaphragm users. Women whose partner never knew when they used the diaphragm or whose partners always knew when they used the diaphragm were more likely to be consistent users than women whose partners sometimes knew. Thus, a woman’s ability to use her diaphragm discreetly or secretly (measured by her partner not knowing when she used the diaphragm) or completely openly was strongly associated with her consistent use of the method.

With the confidence that women are willing to use a diaphragm in a high HIV prevalence area, the University of California San Francisco (UCSF) is currently conducting a Phase III trial to investigate whether the diaphragm used with a lubricant gel could protect women against STIs/HIV. The study, Methods for Improving Reproductive Health in Africa (MIRA), began in 2003 and is being conducted in South Africa and Zimbabwe. Enrollment is nearly complete and results are expected in 2007.

In collaboration with the MIRA partners, Ibis Reproductive Health is leading the effort to build awareness about research on the diaphragms and other cervical barrier methods. In 2004, the Cervical Barrier Advancement Society (CBAS) was established to raise the profile of cervical barriers and serve as a focal point for providing information and resources to media, organizations, and individuals interested in learning more about cervical barrier methods.

Increasing Awareness About Female-controlled Methods
Women in particular need to have as many alternatives as possible at their disposal to protect themselves from infection and slow the advance of the HIV pandemic. Innovative and strategic education, marketing and distribution strategies are increasing demand for, access to and use of the female condom around the world. The microbicide community has mobilized resources for research and advocacy efforts with the aim of ensuring that when available, women will have access to a safe and reliable microbicide. Researchers are also taking a new look at the diaphragm to determine whether it may reduce women’s risk of HIV infection. As women are increasingly affected by the HIV pandemic, the international health community must focus its energies and resources to ensure that women around the world have as many tools as possible at their disposal to protect their health.

For more information on Ibis, visit www.ibisreproductivehealth.org

For more information about cervial barriers, visit www.cervicalbarriers.org

References
1 UNAIDS. AIDS Epidemic Update: December 2004.

2 Ibid.

3 Farr, G, Gabelnick, HL, Sturgen, K, Dorflinger, LL. Contraceptive efficacy and acceptability of the female condom. American Journal of Public Health, 1994.

4 Info Reports. Microbicides: New potential for protection. Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health Center for Communication Programs, 2005.

5 Public Health Working Group of the Microbicide Initiative. The public health benefits of microbicides in lower-income countries: Model projections. The Rockefeller Foundation Microbicide Initiative, 2002.

6 Bulut, A et al. Assessing the acceptability, service delivery requirements, and use-effectiveness of the diaphragm in Colombia, Philippines and Turkey, Contraception. Contraception 63 (5), 2001.

7 Ravindran, TKS. Is the diaphragm a suitable method of contraception for low-income women: A user perspectives study, Madras, India. In: Ravindran TKS., Berer, M., and Cottingham, J., eds. Beyond Acceptability; Users’ Perspectives on Contraception, London: Blackwell, 1997.

8 Moench, T, Chipato, T, Padian, N. Preventing disease by protecting the cervix: The unexplored promise of internal vaginal barrier devices. AIDS, 2001.

9 WHO/CONRAD Technical Consultation on Nonoxynol-9. WHO, Geneva, 9-10 October 2001. Summary Report. World Health Organization, 2003.

10 Van der Straten, A et al. Predictors of diaphragm use as a potential sexually transmitted disease/HIV prevention method in Zimbabwe. Sexually Transmitted Diseases, 2005.

Women more vulnerable to HIV infections

Mohammad Khairul Alam -
AIDS Researcher -
Rainbow Nari O Shishu Kallyan Foundation -
Dhaka, Bangladesh -
Rainbowngo@gmail.com -

The view of poor and developing countries is that women and adolescent girls are more vulnerable to HIV infection on each sexual encounter because of the biological nature of the process and the vulnerability of the reproductive tract tissues to the virus, especially in adolescent girls.

For example, young women are generally disadvantaged by gender disparities in terms of food intake and access to health care. Growth patterns of girls are often worse than that of boys. The inequalities become evident soon after the birth, and by adolescence many girls are grossly underweight. Social, cultural and economic forces make women more likely to contract HIV infection than men. Women are often less able to negotiate for safer sex due to reasons such as their lower status, economic dependence and fear of violence.

Adolescent girls in poor families in developing countries often do not have the option to make real choices about their sexual and reproductive lives, such as when and whom to marry, whether and when to have children and how many to have, and whether to use contraceptives. Women tend to marry very young: nearly two thirds of adolescents in most South Asian countries marry before 18 years of age, and many even before 15 years, despite laws prohibiting such early marriage.

The ‘Rainbow Nari O Shishu Kallyan Foundation’ identified four major approaches in a groundbreaking study on spread out HIV in Bangladesh. This study undertook by comparing of social-economic norm, family pattern, economic dependency, cause of mounting sex industries, gender discrimination status & global analysis fact. There are four factors that appear to play a crucial role in HIV transmission in Bangladesh: Injection/ intravenous drug use (By sharing needle), female sex work (Due to lack of safe sex knowledge), gender discrimination (which indirectly force females commercial or non-commercial sex), Same sex/ homosexually/ Hizra (Due to lack of HIV/AIDS information, because they act invisible in this society). Poverty & illiteracy fueled it proportionally.

In many poor regions women’s limited economic opportunity and relative powerlessness may force them into sex work in order to survive through household financial disaster. This exposes them to HIV infection and they in turn transmit HIV to their clients. In those areas girls are particularly vulnerable to HIV infections because of intergenerational sexual relationships, violence, and limited access to information. In addition, discrimination and stigma obstruct adolescent girls’ access to health services. Poverty causes increased migration to look for work.

Gender analysis in relation to HIV/AIDS has tended to focus on women of reproductive age, and infrequently on young girls, because young women and girls are increasingly being targeted for sex by older men seeking safe partners and also by those who erroneously believe that a man infected with HIV/AIDS will get rid of the disease by having sex with a virgin. So HIV/AIDS epidemic has been fuelled by gender inequality or discrimination. Unequal power relations, sexual coercion and violence are widely faced by women of all age-groups, and these have an array of negative effects on female sexual, physical and mental health.

In many developing countries poverty and gender discrimination between women and men are both strongly linked to the spread of HIV/AIDS. Gender and age analysis shows the ways in which women and girls of different ages are vulnerable to the infection, and it requires support to help the survivors overcome the financial and social effects of the epidemic. The approach for checking HIV/AIDS and that of poverty alleviation are interconnected. Therefore health and development workers should work on a set of integrated policies and programmes to reduce poverty and address HIV/AIDS. They should emphasise the need for special efforts to protect women and girls exposed to the risk of HIV/AIDS and ensure that the legal, civil and human rights of those affected and infected are duly protected and that women have access to treatment, counselling and support on an equal footing with men.

References: Rainbow Nari O Shishu Kallyan Foundation, UNAIDS, ARDS

If you suffer from recurrent yeast infections it could be due to a weakened immune system. This can be an indicator that you might have HIV/ AIDS.

That’s why you should take yourself off to a checkup if you suffer from recurrent yeast infections attacks.

Besides vaginal yeast infections, people who also suffer from thrush, or recurrent yeast infections of the mouth should also be careful.

Quite a percentage of HIV/ AIDS sufferers seem to get recurrent yeast infections especially those of the mouth.

There are medications that can help to cure this problem and which can help you to stop suffering from these recurrent yeast infections.

If you are a keen reader of any health articles you come across,and about yeast infections in particular,then you might have already realized that the yeast fungi do exist harmlessly in our bodies and there is not a single thing we can do about it.This is the reason why we at times experience the adverse effects of these yeast fungi when it has been provoked to cause the unthinkable harm on the same bodies that plays the supposed hosting role.Typically, the adverse effects I am talking about are the yeast infections which are more commonly linked with our feminine setup than men.As much as this is said to be normal and expected,recurrent yeast infections must be thought to be a more alarming health problem just like HIV infections.

Generally, yeast infections cannot only be restricted to our genital parts alone but the shameless Candida albicans will dare to cause trouble to the whole body system if unstopped.As such if you are a victim of these recurrent yeast infections its better to take yourself off to a checkup because this can be an indicator that you might have HIV/ AIDS.

If you are immaculate male or female who would rather not even let your imagination run riot about

the word sex, then probably asking your doctor for a possibility of you having diabetes is the most

crucial.Nevertheless,if you are the messy type,famous for checking what lurks between the legs every time then start counting down your probability of getting infected with any of the sexually transmitted diseases that are known causes of Hiv/Aids too.

Above and beyond, the recurrent yeast infections could be triggered by any sexually transmitted diseases.So what I am trying to clarify is the fact that the last test you had for sexually transmitted diseases did not expose the AIDS virus and that is accurate cause of recurrent yeast infection.You could be one of those people who have faced the reality of being diagnosed with one sexually acquired disease to another, but probably not HIV infection and that is why you are about to give up about the recurrent yeast infection.In fact you could have lived with this HIV virus for the longest time you could think of without being aware that you are a potential carrier and you have feared to get that voluntary test to know your status for long too.

In this particular article,i am giving you eye-opening information that might not get you off that recurrent yeast infection mess alone but also will help you manage your HIV status if positive.So I’ m encouraging you to get tested for this deadly infection because this will pave way for healing of that disgusting thrush in your mouth,esophagus, genital organs, skin and stomach.Gone are the days when HIV infected persons were stigmatized because of their condition, besides there are antiretroviral therapies offered at the hospitals that will prolong your life and built a strong immune system to fight back against recurrent yeast infections.