HIV: Spread love, not the stigma

CEBU, Philippines - The day Pia Wurtzbach was crowned Miss Universe 2015 was an utterly remarkable event for the entire Philippines, not only because of the title won for every Filipino or the coronation gaffe that stirred an online storm for awhile, but most especially because of the one cause she highlighted on that night - Human Immunodeficiency Virus (HIV) Awareness.

HIV prevention and awareness, as Ms.Wurtzbach puts it, is an issue that is both "timely and relevant to… the Philippines," perhaps very well aware of the fact that the country's HIV epidemic is among the fastest growing in the world. According to the United Nations Children's Emergency Fund, the Philippines is one of only nine countries globally where the number of new HIV cases have rapidly increased by over 25 percent. This is apart from the new HIV infections detected among 15- to 19-year old Filipinos that have increased by 50 percent over four years from 2010 to 2014.

In 2016, people living with HIV are getting younger - as younger as 10 years old and below. The most recent data released by the Department of Health Region VII last week showed that of the HIV positive patients belonging to the 19-year-old and below age group, 8 percent were children, who were mostly infected through mother-to-child transmission. Among the adolescents, 90 percent of those HIV positive patients were male, majority of them got infected through sexual contact.

Each year, more and more new HIV infections have been detected and so are the numbers of those who have been afflicted with Acquired Immunodeficiency Syndrome (AIDS), the most advanced stage of HIV infection. This, for the health advocates, could alarmingly mean that the public either has not understood the message on the dangers of HIV, or are just reluctant to act on it.

Perhaps, this dilemma is much apparent in Cebu City where the highest HIV and AIDS incidence are recorded for the past months of January and February in 2016, having "10 full blown cases and 117 asymptomatic (a patient is a carrier but experiences no symptoms) cases during these months," says a news report in The Freeman.

Here, obviously, lies a shortage of education and awareness among individuals, which cannot be solely attributed to the government. In this day and age where facts and information about the HIV/AIDS condition are easily made available and accessible, it's sad to note that some still have limited to extremely skewed understanding about HIV and AIDS. It may even come as quite a surprise to some to learn that HIV cannot be acquired from casual contact with a friend or through hugging, hand shaking, sharing a glass, or kissing on the cheek. 

So the first thing one may want to do upon finding out that a friend is HIV-positive is to know what it is and what it isn't, just as HIV is surrounded by a lot of misinformation. It is also good to take note of the following suggestions from the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention on how to emotionally support someone with HIV:

Encourage the person to get involved with his or her own care. People like to feel in charge of their own affairs, so even if one has offered physical care to an HIV-positive loved one, it's important to let the patient know that what he has to say is more material.

Talk about the disease. Try to create an environment in which the person with HIV feels comfortable talking about both the physical and emotional aspects of the disease. It might not be necessary (or even possible) to resolve all of his or her problems as any attempt to do so will likely end in frustration. Listening, though, is an important part of the coping mechanism.

Connect the person with HIV to friends. Make an effort to invite friends and family to visit him as often as possible, or to at least call or write whenever possible.

Keep in touch. The mere act of trying to reach out the person with HIV could mean a lot to him, so he may feel that he is not alone in his condition… that someone cares.  

Don't be afraid to touch a person with HIV. Again, know that casual contact is unlikely to spread HIV from one person to another. Human touch, a back rub, a holding of hands, or a gentle embrace can be a powerful way to communicate the care he or she needs.

HIV-related stigma, inequality, exclusion and discrimination begin and end with each and every person. More than a key opportunity to raise awareness, yesterday's AIDS Candlelight Memorial Day ceremony spearheaded by Cebu Plus and Cebu City Health Department is a clear call for respect and understanding for those afflicted with the disease. (FREEMAN)