AIDS is on the rise!

The graph below shows the HIV/AIDS statistics in Malaysia between 1986 and 2008, by gender.

There are 84,630 confirmed HIV infected cases and 11,384 deaths have been reported as at the last day of 2008. Adults aged between 20 and 39 accounted for more than half of the new HIV infections. Among all the transmission methods of virus, injecting drug use contributes the most. Male still dominates the recent HIV cases, but the number of women with positive status of HIV has been increasing. Female represented 9.5% of all new cases in 2000, 10.8% in 2004 and 19.1% in 2008.

Aids spreads from one person to another by sexual intercourse between a man and a woman or between two men. The virus can be spread through vaginal, anal or oral sex. It is also caused by sharing contaminated needles used to inject drugs. Besides that, it is caused by an infected woman to her baby during pregnancy or delivery, and possibly through breast feeding. It is also caused by transfusion of contaminated blood or blood components, although this risk has been sharply reduced by screening blood and blood donors and by new ways to process blood used to treat disorders such as hemophilia.

The U.S. Public Health Service recommends that people should take precautions to reduce

the risk of exposing themselves or others to the AIDS virus. The best protection against sexually transmitted infection by the virus is to abstain from sex or to have a mutually monogamous relationship with an uninfected person. Avoid having sex with people who have AIDS, people who have tested positive for the AIDS virus antibody, or people at risk of infection would also eliminate the risk of sexually transmitted infection. Besides that, do not have sex with multiple partners because the more partners you have, the greater your risk of infection. Lastly, do not use illegal intravenous drugs. If you do, never share needles or syringes.

According to Miss Lily who is suffering from AIDS, she says that when she first knew that she had AIDS, she was shocked. She said that she had sex with her previous boyfriend when she was only fifteen but after she broke up with her boyfriend, she had a new partner and had been with him for three years. When she knew she was diagnosed with AIDS, she cried nonstop for the next few weeks, her appetite disappeared, she was not able to sleep, did not want to go out, got severe headaches and basically wanted to end it there and then. She also said that her partner has been great in helping her to get through that time. This helped her to gain her courage back. She advises those who have just been diagnosed to have AIDS, to stay calm and make sure you learn as much as possible about the illness and choose the right doctor. She believes that God is giving her the strength to carry on and she will continue to better her lifestyle in order to minimise the chances of her getting sick.

STOP AIDS !!!

Here at Agony Column, you can read letters from other people suffering with problems just like you. The letters below shows the problems that most teenagers are having now. Letter 1
Dear Aunt Joey, My name is Emily and I discovered that I was HIV positive on April 2010, just a couple of weeks before my 23rd birthday. I cannot believe it since I have taken necessary precautions. I am really frightened. Now that I am HIV positive, I hope you can give me some advice on how to overcome the problems of living with HIV. Dear Emily, Dont worry. You are not alone. It is one of the most important things to keep in mind as you adjust to the fact that you are living with HIV. In my opinion, nobody should face a HIV diagnosis by themselves. So, you must make sure that you connect with a community of people who are living with HIV. It is a key step towards solving both the emotional and practical problems of living with HIV. Letter 2 Dear Aunt Joey, My name is Coco and I have just been given my diagnosis a couple of months ago. I am 20 years old and I dont know exactly how I contracted HIV as I have never had any distinctive symptoms or conversion illnesses. However, I have suspicions on my first boyfriend when I was 15. I have been with my current partner for over two years and until now had never used protection. My reaction to the diagnosis was complete with utter shock. How could I get HIV? Why is this happening to me? Please help me! Dear Coco, You must not give up! Educate yourself as this is important to you. Find something that appeals to your psyche, to your inner peace, to help you deal with the information that you will get. Try to keep yourself calm so that you can navigate through things beautifully.