Poor HIV education

       News in my country show that young educated people - a male this time- committed suicide over having unprotected sex with a girl of unknown status. It’s crazy round here. Nobody knows a thing bout HIV-symptoms, anonymous test, risk exposure, the existence of a treatment or eventually the “living with” part.
       Young educated people give up their lives knowing that’s “no after” –no work, no socialization, no family……and they are right….Society does not give them a chance :people are afraid to touch them, to employ them, to form magnet couples, to have babies.
       I really know it’s like this. Docs I’ve been to (like a douzine so far) do not know common sense stuff over HIV. They panic patients. They are also scared and you are afraid and ashamed to say you’re there for an appoyment to take an H I V test (it’s a taboo issue). They look at you as you’re a CWS or worse. You try a smile but it’s more like an excuse….You get thrown away from school and hospitals as like by touching a door you trough public health in light air.
      So you see…. patients go trough hell –and I really mean HELL - these 2 weeks(10 business days) till they get their result.
      So they can take it anymore and suicide for not accepting the stigma of disgrace ……this poor 25yo guy, living in the city, has been devastated these 2 weeks. Sad is the result came back negative, but too late for him…..
      
“The HIV generation lived longer than Romania would have wont “ once said Voica Steluta in “Cotidianul”, the 20th October 2007) http://www.cotidianul.ro/index.php?id=14940&art=37462&cHash=c984ba58d7

[WW2008]

Kind of a downer of a post, mate. I understand the importance of it though. Both HIV positive and negative people need to pull together support each other. We should not sit back and wait for people to do it for us.

[stelutu]

       I really hope at least we can teach people over here not to get freaked out and stop their education....or at least medical health care.....I've seen it for real and I was so ashamed to ask for that test ( healthy people wanting to check their stomach and liver trouble were there and my voice was low.....I also wanted to leave and come back when the nurse if free to take me...).
      They all look so..but so strange. I was feeling so ill i couldn't stand up and had oral candida and aftas....the pharmacists did not want to sell me anything till i told her I tested HIV and showed up negative......she told me "oh...really??? so strange!"
I felt like ****. Everybody's afraid to touch you......
      One doc told me not to sexual expose someone in like at least 6months- to see if i can ever have sex after I get the result. And that should be a good idea to test 12months point in case of coinfection HCV - HIV.

[Frank303]

Fifteen years ago and more the hospitals and orphanages didn't have money for new syringes in Romania so many of the infections are from the hospitals and childcare places themselves. Not sure how the situation is now as I haven't been in Romania since 2001.
I couldn't comment if it is similar here to the USA as someone not living with the virus or rather having it living with me.
I was at the emergency room and after waiiting for the people milling around the reception desk to disappear I checked in and mentioned HIV. The receptionist answered "you've been doing somethig you shouldn't have then?" OTOH my Doctor, the Practice Nurse and Optometrist were fine.
A couple of mates haven't returned my calls.

[stelutu]

      Oh....no...it's much better nowadays from this point of view. We've been told since 1992 there's no re usage for syringes or needles whatsoever. Now (these past 7months I started to learn sth bout this H I V issue) I am worried sick bout hospitals and getting stuck so I'm very much aware. They always use fresh new ones.
      As for the time you knew Romania it's true- that was the children HIV+generation that lived longer than Romania would have wont. Nowadays it's common sense they all (90% as a study estimated) get infected via sexual intercourse. So it's upsetting it's a rising excess of infections when would be life saving just to use a condom :( (at least I promise I've learned my lesson!)