tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8229878121183426722.post1561274769729546391..comments2023-10-08T12:27:04.050+03:00Comments on HIV in Kenya: Does the HIV Industry Despise Africans or Just Sex in Africa?Simonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13522180315970081603noreply@blogger.comBlogger8125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8229878121183426722.post-90919398809708055602010-10-12T08:58:15.405+03:002010-10-12T08:58:15.405+03:00Hi,
This is a note to anonymous. I want to reinfor...Hi,<br />This is a note to anonymous. I want to reinforce what Simon says. A lot of people get HIV from injections, dentists, etc. But because so much of the talk has been about sex, people get confused.<br />If your mother had malaria, would she take quinine? If she had TB, would she take medicine? <br />HIV is like other diseases -- but the stigma may be confusing. It's just something to treat.<br />And your mother might need to be a bit hard-headed. When counselors or doctors ask anything about sex -- just tell them what-for! There should be no stigma about this, but there is. So that's where a hard head is needed. <br />Good luck!<br />David GisselquistDavid Gisselquistnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8229878121183426722.post-57880658793630251512010-10-03T22:22:11.787+03:002010-10-03T22:22:11.787+03:00By the way, feel free to contact me by email if yo...By the way, feel free to contact me by email if you need to:<br /><br />collery (at) gmail (dot) comSimonhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/13522180315970081603noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8229878121183426722.post-50439601322542618572010-10-03T22:11:02.210+03:002010-10-03T22:11:02.210+03:00Hi, I think the best and the quickest thing you co...Hi, I think the best and the quickest thing you could do is get your mother's GP/Family doctor, or some doctor, to visit her and refer her to someone who can counsel her at home.<br /><br />Many counselors, I think all the ones I have met, have a very brief training, though they may have a lot of experience. It sounds as if your mother should consult with someone who has very broad knowledge and experience, so a doctor would be in the best position to help.<br /><br />Any good doctor should be able to refer your mother to the right person so you can arrange for a home visit. And if that doctor decides your mother should see a counselor, then they should also be able to direct you to the most appropriate one.<br /><br />All the best<br />SimonSimonhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/13522180315970081603noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8229878121183426722.post-66295328204415291222010-10-03T21:53:27.646+03:002010-10-03T21:53:27.646+03:00Hi Simon, unfortunately my mum doesn't want to...Hi Simon, unfortunately my mum doesn't want to go on meds right away.. she has an unbelievable Cd4 count of 1 (!) no not 10 or 100 but 1, VL 10,000. she needs professional counselling -- she actually doesn't seem to understand the gravity of the situation so she wants to go to hospital only when she feels "stronger"..we are freaked out about this. I live in Europe.. will probably hope on a plane in the next few days to go home, in meanwhile but my bros are there, at their wits end. Do you know of any organizations in kenya that do in-home counselling? I think once my mum speaks tp an HIV counselor she'll be more willing to see an HIV specialist doctor.. any insights on professional counselling in nairobi would be greatAnonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8229878121183426722.post-1895759247105572022010-09-30T12:25:06.260+03:002010-09-30T12:25:06.260+03:00No problem, I'm glad to hear things are procee...No problem, I'm glad to hear things are proceeding well. I hope everything goes smoothly. And it's good to question things because so many people think they are protected from HIV just because they abstain from sex or take other precautions. Until it's widely accepted that HIV can also be transmitted non-sexually, many people will continue to be at risk.<br />All the best<br />SimonSimonhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/13522180315970081603noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8229878121183426722.post-61266372201129642732010-09-30T12:02:54.120+03:002010-09-30T12:02:54.120+03:00Simon,
many thanks for extensive response!thankful...Simon,<br />many thanks for extensive response!thankfully my mum has a good support network of family and friends around her -- we find out her cd4 count and viral load on saturday so she can start her meds thenAnonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8229878121183426722.post-89068332201181911052010-09-28T22:49:50.885+03:002010-09-28T22:49:50.885+03:00Thank you for your comment. I'm very sorry to ...Thank you for your comment. I'm very sorry to hear that your mother has been diagnosed HIV positive. But now that she knows, she should be able to receive treatment as soon as she needs it and, with a bit of luck, live for many years.<br /><br />HIV prevalence is quite high among older people in some countries and this has not been well investigated. Of course, it wouldn't be, because the mainstream assume that it is almost always sexually transmitted! But every unusual instance should be investigated by all the people involved. There should be medical records, to start with.<br /><br />One of the things that woke me up to the injustice of the constant assumption that HIV transmission is sexual, so anyone (any African) who is HIV positive must somehow have had unsafe sex, was seeing people refuse to take treatment and dying as a result.<br /><br />To assume that they were infected sexually, regardless of what the person may reveal about themselves, is disgraceful behavior in a professional of any kind and an inhuman way to treat someone.<br /><br />I felt people were being degraded, slighted, mocked and humiliated, often right up until they died. The worst treatment can even come from those who are supposed to be helping.<br /><br />Some people just refuse to believe they are suffering from a disease that is transmitted sexually, and they are right. So many have died and many will die because if they refuse to believe they have HIV and refuse to accept treatment, most of them will become very sick, eventually, and die.<br /><br />I hope your mother finds peace in knowing what she does about herself and that she ignores anyone who tells her otherwise, no matter who they are. And I hope she gets all she needs to stay healthy and happy.<br /><br />You may be right that a transfusion more than 20 years ago is not related but it would probably be a good idea to discuss the matter with an expert, maybe even several experts, if that's possible.<br />Regards<br />SimonSimonhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/13522180315970081603noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8229878121183426722.post-52982036013039466022010-09-28T22:10:39.048+03:002010-09-28T22:10:39.048+03:00my mum was diagnosed HIV+ a few days ago. She'...my mum was diagnosed HIV+ a few days ago. She's 66 yrs old. my dad passed away more than a decade ago from cancer (not AIDS), my mum has not been sexually active since-- this is a fact. we have no idea -- and neither does she, how she could have contracted the virus .. she's old fashioned so to a certain extent she believes someone bewitched her (!).it's unfair, frustrating, depressing. shes such wonderful human being. we absolutely have no clue how this could have happened so we are speculating that somewhere, somehow could have been via hospital.. she's had some injections a few years ago and blood transfusion in 1987 but that's ages ago so no clue.. bottom line, sexual transmission is not the cause hereAnonymousnoreply@blogger.com