Week 13

Week 13

First of all, I would like to say that I hope everyone has a Happy Thanksgiving! It is crazy to me that this is our last blog, but I can honestly say that I have gained such knowledge and perspective from this class. When I first signed up for this class, I was very scared and nervous to take it because I read the reviews saying how hard it was and that it was a "GPA decreaser".

Whether or not I get an A in this class doesn't really matter to me because I can definitely say that I know so much more about HIV and what it does to an individual the moment they get their positive test result back. This class has pushed us to look at HIV through non biased or opinionated glasses, which I am very thankful for. Coming from a small town where HIV was never talked about, I greatly appreciate being able to take a course like this.

We should be thankful to UCF for actually having this class because we got to be a part of something that very few people have. By blogging to you, my peers, I have been able to freely express my opinions, questions, and thoughts about HIV and AIDS. I would like to thank you all for reading and for your perspectives as well. I have really enjoyed taking this class with you all.

Did You Know?



"In 2005, the Florida legislature revised the statute regarding HIV testing of pregnant women (s.384.31, F.S.). The law eliminated the requirement for a separate HIV consent and the testing was broadened to include other STDs. Pregnant women must now be notified that they will be tested for HIV, syphilis, Chlamydia, gonorrhea, and hepatitis B (at the initial visit and 28-32 weeks) and that they have the right to refuse any or all tests. Women who opt out of testing must sign a statement of objection. " (Florida Department of Health)

Reference
Women and Children: The Perinatal HIV Program.(2010) Florida Department of Health. Retrieved on November 24, 2010 from http://www.doh.state.fl.us/disease_ctrl/aids/perinatal/perinatal.html

Week 12

Week 12

 This week at work, I got floated down into the Emergency Room both nights. It was my first time being down there, and I have to give those guys credit. I thought that being on the floors was fast paced, but being down there really took a LOT of energy. The first night, I realized that the most important task is getting patients in and getting them out as fast as possible. I was wore out by 2 o'clock in the morning.

However, the second night was one of the most unforgettable nights I have ever had working in the hospital. A woman who was about 5 months pregnant came in because she was having severe cramping, and she shared with me that she was HIV positive and had only found out because she took a mandatory HIV test at her first OBGYN  appointment. I had known about her condition prior to me talking to her because her nurse had told me, but it was still shocking to hear when it came out of her mouth. I asked her if her and her baby were getting treated and she said yes, but that it still didn't mean that she wasn't scared.

I told her that I was taking this class and that she found out at a good time. She said that her pregnancy was a surprise and unplanned, and I told her that it was really a blessing because otherwise she might not know about her condition until it is too late. My heart really felt for her because she was all alone. It then occured to me that I still had Diane's (The nurse that took my HIV test at the Health Department) business card in my wallet. I ran upstairs to get it, but by the time I got back, she was gone. I felt so dissapointed because I knew that I could have just given her my number, but I just didn't feel like it was my place at the time. I just hope that this young woman will have someone to stand by her side.

Did You Know?

 "Currently there are 16 drug products approved by the FDA for the treatment of adult HIV infection. Through major contributions by the Pediatric ACTG, 10 antiretroviral agents have pediatric label information, including 3 protease inhibitors."

Source:

Riley, L.E. and Green, M.F. Elective caesarean delivery to reduce the transmission of HIV. 1999. N Engl J Med 340:13, 1032.

Week 11

Week 11

         After the M&M simulation, I really got an idea what a person has to deal with the moment they get diagnosed with AIDS or are HIV positive. The simulation really proves how it isn't just "take your pills" and you'll be fine. I really don't think people see how difficult it is to have to take sixteen plus pills every day that make you feel sick at times and have to carefully planned out in accordance with whether they have to be taken with food or not.
         The M&M simulation was also very real to me because I had gone to take my HIV test at the beginning of that same week. Taking that test was something that I will never forget. In a sense, I felt dirty going in there. Once the nurse kept asking me whether I had unprotected sex in the past year, I answered yes, and told her, "But, I am married." She replied with, "Married or not married, you could still get HIV." I told her that we had both waited until we were married to have sex, and she looked at me like she was in disbelief. I knew she didn't believe me because she asked if I wanted to be tested for chlamydia right after. I understand why they have to ask because I remember the woman from the Women's Panel that got HIV through her husband, but I just couldn't help but feel a little discouraged.
         When I left that day, I remember thinking that this was one of the reasons why I had waited to have sex until I was married; I never wanted to have to go through this. I am not writing this to teach or to brag by any means at all. It was just ironic to me a little bit to have to go through it anyways due to this class!

Did You Know?

Symptoms of children with AIDS include lymph nodes (like the child in the picture) that remain enlarged for more than 3 months, lack of energy, weight loss, requent fevers and sweats, persistent and frequent oral/vaginal yest infections, skin rashes or flaky sins, pelvic inflammatory disease that does not respont to treatment, short-term memory loss.

Reference

Children's Hospital Boston. (2010). AIDS/HIV. Retrieved on November 10, 2010 from http://www.childrenshospital.org/az/Site550/mainpageS550P0.html

Week 10

Week 10

            This week, my mind has really been set to thinking about a conversation that I had with the guidance counselor from my high school. I saw him on Sunday, and he was asking me how school was going. I told him how I will be graduating next month, and of all my classes this term, my HIV Class has really taught me the most. I was shocked when he asked me, “Is HIV really that bad still?”

            The sincerity in his question made me cringe. I thought, “No wonder I never learned about HIV or AIDS in high school. The school’s very own guidance counselor knew nothing about it. There has got to be HIV awareness taught in schools, especially high school where experimenting with drugs and sex is present every day. There is something awfully wrong about this picture.

            When I went to get tested for HIV last week at the Lake County Health Department, which is right down the road from Umatilla High School, I had asked the woman giving the test if there were a lot of teenagers coming in to get tested. She said that when teenagers did come in, they had no idea what HIV was. She said many of them considered it an STD that could be cleared up with the proper medications. She said that the HugMe Clinic in Lake County has been begging to able to meet with the local schools, but they get denied every time.

            After my old guidance counselor asked me that question, I began to tell him everything that I knew about HIV. I told him how important it was that HIV awareness gets into high schools and middle schools because its presence is increasing by thousands every day. I am pretty sure that I got through to him that it wasn’t until I got to college that I was really informed about the severity of HIV. If it wasn’t for this class, I could have been caught asking a ridiculous question like him!

Did You Know?

“Without therapy, about 20% of HIV-infected babies developed an AIDS-defining condition prior to 2 years of age. Only about 5% of HIV-infected children reach their teen years without any apparent symptoms of HIV infection.”

(This was an article about 20 children with HIV)

Luzuriaga, K. M.D. (March, 2001). “Life Span of HIV Newborn According to NPHRC”. The Body: The Complete HIV/AIDS Resource. Retrieved on November 3, 2010 from http://www.thebody.com/Forums/AIDS/Children/Current/Q14370.qna