Almost The End!

I can't believe the semester is almost over! My last semester at UCF - a very wierd thought indeed. I have decided to continue with my schooling while everything is still fresh in my mind. I fear that if I take a break, I will never return to school and I would like to achieve my Masters. I will be moving to Tallahassee at the end of the summer to work towards my MBA. My sister already attends FSU as an undergraduate student and I will be moving into an apartment with her. I am so excited!! To add to my excitement, I will be getting a Pomeranian puppy as a graduation present. Many unexpected events have happened throughout the past semester. At first, I just wanted to lay down and die but now I feel that I have some great things to look forward to. I would have never thought of moving to Tallahassee before and now I could not be more excited. My sister is my best friend and I feel blessed to have the time to enjoy being a student and strengthen my relationship with her :)

This week's QOTW was rather thought provoking. After conducting the M&M simulation, I cannot imagine going through such a medication regimen without the simulation part. The constant struggle with HIV medication side effects and the rigid schedule of the medications would make life very difficult. However, four weeks is nothing compared to a possible lifetime of HIV infection. I understand that I must adhere to the treatment for the full four weeks otherwise the virus may develop a resistance. If I were to become infected with HIV, not only would I have to deal with the medication side effects for much longer than four weeks, but I would also inherit all of the side effects of a positive HIV diagnosis.

As this class comes to an end, I feel like I have gained so much knowlege concerning HIV/AIDS. I feel much more aware of what is going on around me. I know for a fact that I was severely misinformed about HIV before this class. My goal for the future is to correct the misinformation that other people have about the virus. Knowledge is power and hopefully if more people know the facts about HIV, prevention and its prevalence throughout the world, something more can be done. Thank you for making this class so interesting!! I feel that I have learned more in this one semester than most of my other online classes.

***Did You Know?***

While HIV and pregnancy receives a lot of attention in the medical world, HIV and abortion seems to be lacking in research. An HIV+ pregnant woman has the same rights as an HIV- pregnant woman when it comes to abortion. The woman may want to avoid a pregnancy for the same reasons as other women but HIV+ women must also worry about the effects of pregnancy and childbirth on their health and the safety of their future child. There has been little research conducted on the morbidity of HIV+ women versus HIV- women and unsafe abortions, however evidence suggests that an HIV+ woman may have a higher morbidity risk. Studies in Zimbabwe and Thailand show that when information on legal pregnancy termination is lacking, HIV+ women can be prevented from conducting an abortion.

http://goliath.ecnext.com/coms2/gi_0199-298933/Safe-abortion-for-HIV-positive.html

The Criminal Transmission of HIV

The QOTW for this week made me search a little deeper into the criminalization of HIV transmission. I can understand why this subject is touchy for different people. It is hard to prove intent in such a situation but the intent of the transmission is the foundation of the criminal charges. There are three different forms of transmission recognized in a criminal case. The first and most serious is an intentional HIV transmission from one partner to another. In this case, the positive person engaged in a sexual act with the sole purpose of infecting their negative partner. Second is reckless transmission, in which a person is seeking sexual gratification but does not wish to infect their partner. Finally, accidental transmission can occur when a positive person is unaware of their positive status. As you may imagine, it is hard for the prosecution to find solid proof that would distinguish between intentional and reckless transmission.

Different legislations must acknowledge which form or forms of transmission are considered a criminal offense. There are three general approaches: criminalization of intentional transmission only, criminalization of all forms of transmission and no criminalization for transmission. Florida states that it is unlawful for an HIV positive person to engage in sexual contact without disclosure and consent. Also, Florida took it one step further in being the first state to prosecute a woman for mother to child HIV transmission. The prosecution stated that the mother did not follow the necessary steps to prevent transmission during pregnancy because she did not want the baby's father to know about her positive status.

Many HIV positive people disagree with the criminalization of reckless HIV transmission. One common belief is that protected sex should be a shared responsibility. I definitely see the validity in this statement. At this point, most people are aware of sexually transmitted diseases, especially HIV/AIDS. However, young people often have a sense entitlement and believe they are invincible, as if nothing could ever happen to them. This is far from the truth. You should always use a condom when engaging in sexual activity. However, I do feel that the positive partner is more aware of the seriousness behind HIV/AIDS. They are living with this condition every day of their lives and know the deep impact that it can have. It is their responsibility to inform the negative partner of the possible outcome of the situation.

Another reason why an HIV positive person may dislike the criminalization of HIV transmission is that it once again sheds a negative light on HIV. This will only increase the stigma behind HIV. Depsite this fact, it is still important to have such laws in effect, especially for intentional transmission. The idea of someone actively trying to infect other people is wrong and should be dealt with in a criminal manner.

http://www.avert.org/criminal-transmission.htm



***Did You Know?***
HIV positive women that become pregnant will not become sicker simply because of the pregnancy. However, there are some factors within the pregnancy that must be monitored, especially medications. "Short course" treatments that protect newborns from transmission of HIV are not always good for the mother's health. Combination therapies are the best option for expecting mothers. It is important that the mother does not take the medications only during labor and delivery because HIV might develop a resistance to the medications. If a resistance is developed, this can limit future treatment options for the mother. However, many doctors suggest that pregnant mothers should interrupt their treatment course for the first three months of pregnancy. There is a high risk of missing doses due to the nausea and vomiting that is common in the first three months. By missing doses, HIV might get the chance to develop a resistance.

http://www.aids.org/factSheets/611-Pregnancy-and-HIV.html#anchor51213

Almost time to graduate!

I can't believe the semester is almost over! One more month of classes and I will have my degree!! I have been making some big decisions throughout this semester that will affect my life forever. I have decided to move to Tallahassee and live with my sister while I get my MBA from FSU. I am really excited to be able to live with her! My sister is my very best friend and I can't wait to start this next chapter in my life.

I watched Philadelphia with my mom two nights ago. We both really enjoyed the movie. It was very moving and intense. I enjoyed this film because the story felt so real to me - it was like I was in the courtroom while the trial was happening. Both Tom Hanks and Denzel Washington's performances were amazing. In the final scenes when Tom Hanks is dying, his portrayal is so realistic and thought provoking. Both my mother and I were moved to tears. It was so disgusting to watch the discrimination against Tom Hank's character. I felt that his sexual preference was one of the main reasons he was on trial.

I will never understand our country's fear of what we don't understand. Just because a person is different does not mean that they are wrong or beneath the majority. You would think that we might have learned from our past mistakes with racial prejudices. We have simply moved our prejudices to a different group of people. Are we really so insecure and ignorant that we must always have a target group for hatred? All human beings are equal no matter what the circumstances and I wonder if our country will ever collectively realize this. Philadelphia is a beautiful movie that touches on so many important issues and I recommend it to anyone who enjoys meaningful film.

The Question of the Week for this week made me feel really lucky to have my family. I have not always been the best daughter. In fact, I have put them through absolute hell. But they have always been there for me and put my needs over their needs at the drop of a hat. I know that they would be there for me and work through their own emotions in order to help me with anything I need. However, I really do not know if I could tell the majority of my friends.

When I really think about it, I do not think a lot of people my age would be very supportive. They would probably never make an effort to hang out with me again and tell anybody that knows me. Its sad to think about how artificial some of my friendships are, but the stigma of HIV is very powerful. Whenever I tell some of my friends that I have to do HIV homework, they get this disgusted look on their face like ew why would you take an HIV class. I cannot imagine how they would react if they thought I had HIV.

***Did You Know?***
Here are some statistics that I think you should know about HIV and pregnancy. According to the March of Dimes, about 120,000 to 160,000 women are infected with HIV in America. About 6,000 to 7,000 women with HIV will give birth every year. Approximately 15,000 children have been infected with HIV since the beginning of the epidemic, with about 3,000 deaths. 90% of child deaths from HIV are a result of HIV transmission during pregnancy or birth. Perinatal transmission is the term used when HIV is transmitted from mother to baby during pregnancy, labor, delivery or breastfeeding. Perinatal transmission is the most common form of HIV infection in children.

http://www.americanpregnancy.org/pregnancycomplications/hivaids.html

M&M Simulation

All I can say is wow. I have never had an assignment as intense and realistic as the M&M Simulation. Truly, this class is different from any other class I have ever taken. The assignments are eye-opening and force you to look at things from the perspective of someone with a positive diagnosis. I feel that at the end of this course I will be more knowledgeable about the subject matter (HIV/AIDS) than I have ever been in any other course. This information is in my brain and will stay with me as I begin to work in the medical field. While this class may be work intensive and not an "easy A", the professors are true teachers and have enhanced my education.

I chose to do exercise A for my M&M Simulation. In exercise A, my HIV medication regimen involves taking 2 - 100 mg AZT capsules bid, 2 - 150 mg 3TC pills bid, 3 - 250 mg Nelfinavir capsules bid, 1 double strength TMP/SMX tab od and 1 multivitamin od. I bring a small plastic bag with my M&M pill regimen to work every day. I cannot even begin to tell you how difficult it is to combine my pill regimen with my work schedule and eating habits. I felt hopeless at first but I feel that I have created some sort of natural rhythm as the simulation progresses. My eating habits are not how I would like them to be but that is a small sacrifice compared to what people who really have HIV must go through.

Everyone in my office already knows about my HIV class, as I am always checking discussion posts or spending any extra time on homework. When my co-worker actually saw me swallowing a peanut M&M whole, her first words were "HIV class?" I explained to her the simulation and she seemed intrigued with the whole idea. Most of my co-workers have never been in such a unique class as this one. They will explain to me how they never had such in-depth assignments designed to simulate how someone with HIV would actually feel. Actually living something provides more education than just memorizing a sheet of paper and taking a test. I almost feel like my co-workers are jealous that they did not get to experience such an innovative class, but they are definitely not jealous of the workload.

On a different subject, I was checking my Yahoo mail account and took notice of one of the highlighted articles on the homepage. The highlighted blurb said that HIV/AIDS has become the number one killer of women worldwide, ages 15 - 49. To those of you that think HIV/AIDS is a thing of the past, this statistic proves that it is obviously not. For something that is killing masses of young women across the world, you would think there would be a better education program concerning HIV and safe sex in the United States. It makes me really upset when I think about the lack of safe sex education that I received in high school. Don't you think the embarrassment of a sex conversation is worth bringing that statistic down? We cannot turn back the hands of time, but HIV/AIDS in the future can be prevented. Why are we not doing everything in our power to achieve the goal of prevention? The conservative, religious outlook seems to be running our nation in more ways than one. Is the unrealistic message of abstinence and purity more important than preventing a worldwide killer?

Here is an informative article concerning HIV as the number one killer of young women worldwide:
http://www.telegraph.co.uk/health/healthnews/7360227/HIVAids-is-leading-killer-of-women-of-reproductive-age-worldwide.html




***Did You Know***
One important factor that can increase the risk of transmission from mother to baby is the "duration of ruptured membranes". This phrase is used to describe the time passed from when the water breaks to the actual delivery. It is important that a doctor tries to keep this time period at less than 4 hours. If time goes over 4 hours, the baby is exposed to HIV for a longer amount of time and is more susceptible to the virus. Induced labor, or "induced rupturing of the water bag", is also a risk factor to the transmission of the virus to the baby. It is important that doctors avoid inducing labor with an HIV positive mother.

http://www.projectinform.org/info/pregnancy/02.shtml

Back To School!

Well spring break has ended and it is back to the real world! I received my testing results from Planned Parenthood and thankfully I tested negative for HIV. I must admit, I was a little anxious in waiting for the results. I have been very cautious in my life and I did not think that I could have HIV, but it is still difficult to wait for such results.

Over the break, I conducted a garage sale to raise money for the HUGMe organization. My grandma told me that she would make up the difference to reach $100 for bonus points for this class. I did not have a huge selection of items for the garage sale but I made a sign explaining that all the proceeds were going to the HUGMe organization. Several of my neighbors were very generous and offered to pay more than the value of the item being sold. In the end, I made $88 and my grandma gave me $12 to reach my $100 goal. I am writing the paper now and will be sending the check to Teach by the end of the week. It felt really good to know that I was raising money for a good cause. If there is one thing that I have learned from this class it is that there is a great need for HIV/AIDS education.

I feel that I learned a lot about HIV/AIDS from Assignment #4. "Common Threads" was a very touching film. It was interesting to hear the individual stories and see their representation in the quilt itself. I found the story of the young child with hemophilia to be especially touching. He seemed to be such a brave little boy, stronger than most guys I know now. He believed that he had the same rights as every other child and should be able to go outside and play when he chooses. It is beyond me that someone would want to take that right away from him. "Silverlake Life" was a little much for me. It was really hard to watch some of the scenes in that documentary, especially the death scene. When they showed his emaciated body, I almost felt that I had to cover my eyes. What an awful way to die.


These movies really open your eyes to the plight of someone diagnosed with HIV. Especially someone diagnosed with HIV in the late 80's. It is appalling how our government initially handled the prevention and treatment of HIV. I also watched the documentary series "Age of AIDS" and found this to be the most informative. It was interesting to see how different countries have approached the campaign for prevention and treatment of HIV. I think out of all the assignments in this class so far, Assignment #4 was the most informative.

***Did You Know?***

There are certain HIV medications that women should not use when they are pregnant. Such medications include Sustiva, Zerit, Agenerase in the oral form and hydroxyurea. The only HIV medication that is strongly recommended is ZDV, also known as zidovudine or AZT. The use of ZDV by an HIV-positive mother proves to be 70% effective in preventing the transmission of HIV to the child. ZDV treatment takes place in three parts and must be started between the 14th and 34th week of pregnancy. Once the child is born, the baby must take ZDV as a liquid every six hours for the first six weeks of life.

Reference: http://www.pregnancy-info.net/stds_hiv_and_pregnancy.html

Almost Spring Break!

Hello fellow bloggers! This week, Teach has given us a specific topic to blog about: celebrities that have passed away with HIV. I chose two celebrities - Robert Reed and Tom Fogerty. Robert Reed was an actor, receiving his undergraduate degree in drama at Northwestern University and continuing to study at the Royal Academy of Dramatic Arts in London. Robert began his acting career on Broadway but soon ended up in Hollywood guest starring on several different TV shows in the late '50s. His big break came as playing an attorney on "Father Knows Best" in 1959. Following this break, Robert was cast in the emmy-winning "The Defenders" and replaced Robert Redford on Broadway in Neil Simon's "Barefoot in the Park".


Robert signed a contract with Paramount which resulted in his appearance in three pilot TV shows, one of which was "The Brady Bunch". As you well know, "The Brady Bunch" was picked up by national television and Robert Reed is well remembered as playing the father. According to Robert, this was not his favorite role. He was a method actor and enjoyed more serious roles and Broadway acting. While acting in "The Brady Bunch", Robert also played Lieutenant Adam Tobias in the show "Mannix" and continued to act on Broadway. In the span of his career, Robert was nominated for three emmys - twice for Outstanding Single Performance by an Actor in a Drama or Comedy and once for Outstanding Supporting Actor in a Drama Series. Closer to the end of his life, Robert taught a Shakespearean acting course at UCLA.


Robert Reed tried to keep his homosexuality a secret. It was a well known secret on "The Brady Bunch" set. He was diagnosed with colon cancer in 1992 and was HIV positive. He remained close with his former co-star, Florence Henderson (Mrs. Brady), until the very end and asked her to break the news to the Brady "kids" about his condition. Each of the Brady children called Rob and all were in attendance at his funeral. Robert died from colon cancer and complications from AIDS on May 12, 1992 at the age of 59.


Tom Fogerty was in a successful rock band known as the Creedence Clearwater Revival, or CCR. Tom played the rhythm guitar and sang backup vocals but always seemed to be in the shadow of his little brother, John Fogerty who played lead guitar, sang lead vocals and wrote most of the songs. In the beginning, the four man band was signed to the obscure Orchestra label as Tommy Fogerty and the Blue Velvets. At this time, Tom sang lead vocals and wrote most of the songs. Throughout the mid-60's, the band was signed with Fantasy Records and changed their name to The Golliwogs. In The Golliwogs, Tom was much more visible and shared lead vocals and songwriting with his brother. By the time the band changed their name to Creedence Clearwater Revival in 1968, Tom's brother was in complete control of the band.

In 1971, Tom left the band due to his rising frustrations with his brother and his lack of contribution to the band's music. CCR would only release one more album after Tom's departure. Tom tried his hand at a solo career throughout the '70s and '80s but was not very successful. Unfortunately, the brothers never quite recovered their relationship. Tom died in 1990 from complications due to AIDS. His family believed he had acquired the disease through a blood transfusion during surgery on his back. If you are unfamiliar with CCR, I recommend you take a listen to "Bad Moon Rising", "Have You Ever Seen the Rain" and "Proud Mary", to name a few.

References:
http://www.bradyworld.com/sketch/reed.htm
http://www.worldsstrangest.com/mental-floss/6-secrets-from-the-brady-vault/
http://www.answers.com/topic/tom-fogerty



***Did You Know***
Did you know that two states have passed legislature to test every newborn child for HIV? Those two states are New York and Connecticut, and Illinois is considering a similar law. The idea of testing all newborn babies raises an ethical question. While doctors always recommend that a pregnant mother get tested for HIV, it is her right to say no to the HIV test. If a newborn baby is tested as HIV positive, health professionals are essentially diagnosing the mother as well. Also, most HIV tests detect the antibodies to HIV and not the virus itself. All newborn babies with HIV positive mothers will have antibodies consistent with HIV but may not have the virus. Adequate testing of newborns will either require a more complex test that can detect the virus itself or testing will have to wait untiil the baby is 15 to 18 months when all maternal antibodies are gone.

http://hivinsite.ucsf.edu/insite?page=ask-06-04-24

Posting Number 5...

Well this class continues to move right along. I'm still waiting for my HIV test results. I should be getting them anytime now. I feel kind of nervous - when I first learned of the assignment, I did not think it would be a big deal. I know that I do not have HIV but it is still a nerve-wracking experience. I actually enjoyed writing my paper last week for Assignment 3. As you can see from my last posting, I really enjoyed the book I chose to read. The paper made me look even deeper into the story. I definitely recommend the book, "At Risk" to anyone who enjoys reading.

I also enjoyed the Question of the Week this week. The situation that Teach presented us would be difficult. I was reading through some of the different responses and a lot of people said that without hesitation, they would help the dying girl immediately. I would have to admit that I would think about it for a minute. Does that make me a bad person? Of course I could only think about it for a small amount of time if the girl had any chance of living, but it would not be an immediate process. Ultimately, I would choose to help the girl. If I were in that situation, I would want someone to help me that is well versed in first aid. I could be the girl's only chance of survival.

I have a question for the people in my blogging group. In Teach's discussion posting, she says that Korey is our HIV blogging partner. I went to look at his blog, "Life How it Goes", and his one and only post was in 2006. Am I missing something? I know we are supposed to be commenting on his blog but there is nothing to comment on. Please let me know if I am doing something wrong! Thank you in advance!


***Did You Know***
A study in Kenya showed that HIV positive mothers who breastfeed are much more likely to become sicker themselves. This statistic could result from the loss of valuable calories, nutrients and fluid in the breast milk that are vital to the mother's own health. This sends out mixed signals. My last Did You Know feature stated that HIV positive mothers in developing countries are better off exclusively breastfeeding for six months or less. While this may be safer for the baby, it seems to be unsafe for the mother. There has to be a better alternative. We should find a way to get clean, safe formula to mothers in developing countries.

http://www.thebody.com/content/art13590.html

Another Blog!

Another week has gone by! I finished my book and I was really surprised to find how much I enjoyed it. I read the book called "At Risk" by Alice Hoffman and I could not put it down! I finished it in about a day and a half. The story revolves around an 11 year old girl in a small town that contracts HIV from an untested blood transfusion during a routine appendicitis. I really enjoyed how the book was written. The story was told through the eyes of everyone involved with the little girl's life. The perspective would switch from the girl, mother, father, brother, doctor, friend, school principal, gymnastics coach and so on.

I am a cryer - just ask my sister. We always go to movies together and somehow I always find something to cry about. This book made me emotional several times throughout the story from several different character's perspectives. When you think of the emotional factors related to the transmission of HIV, often times you only consider the person who contracted the disease. This book helped to paint a picture of everyones emotions - guilt, fear, depression, discrimination and so much more. I recommend this book to anyone who enjoys reading. My sister lives in Tallahassee and she bought the book after I finished it. She is a film major at FSU and she is trying to perfect her writing skills for screenplays. The book had such an impact on her that she is trying to adapt it to a screenplay version. Its been really fun talking to her and bouncing ideas around for dialogue during the introspective moments of the book.

I had my HIV test done at Planned Parenthood this past weekend. I am a baby when it comes to needles so I received the OraSure test. I didn't think I would be that nervous about the results but it is a little scary to think about. I have never been tested for HIV before. I have been tested for every other STD but not specifically HIV. For some reason, I did not think HIV was a problem in the Tampa Bay area. I never hear any discussion about HIV statistics for the area. I was so surprised to see Florida's statistics in Teach's first slide show. I remember hearing alot about HIV and AIDS when I was a bit younger but I hardly ever hear anything anymore. I work for a non-profit hospital within the foundation. The foundation raises money to fund various programs, equipment and buildings within the hospital system. Our grant system is divided into different categories such as cancer services, diabetes services and so on. I have never once seen a grant for HIV. It seems to me that HIV positive patients are just as important as cancer patients.

The book I read, "At Risk", really showed the injustices an HIV positive person must suffer. This little girl lost most of her friends, parents and teachers petitioned against her coming back to school and she couldn't even find an orthodontist that would take off her braces. People are so uneducated about the transmission of HIV and rumors become truth. I wonder if that fear has anything to do with the difference between how a cancer patient is treated and how an HIV positive person is treated in society.

***Did You Know***

If an HIV positive mother wants to breastfeed, it is best that the baby is on a diet consisting of breast milk ONLY for the first few months. If the mother adds any other foods or liquid to the diet, the baby can develop a gut infection and has a much higher chance of becoming infected with HIV. A study in South Africa showed that mothers who exclusively breastfed their children for atleast three months were less likely to transmit HIV than mothers who incorporated other items in the baby's diet. This study showed that the risk of transmitting the virus among mothers who exclusively breastfed was no higher than those who did not breastfeed at all.

http://rehydrate.org/breastfeed/faq-hiv.htm

Moving Right Along...

Well, this week there is no particular blogging subject to speak of so lets talk about what went on in class during the previous week. At first, I was met with a problem when trying to complete Module 1. The bookstore had sent me the wrong CD with the HIV Course label on the front. I live three hours from campus so I had to get the correct CD overnighted to my house in order to finish the assignment. Just a little bit stressful, but I was able to finish the assignment all the same.

I found the different theories behind the origin of HIV to be very interesting. Growing up, I had always heard that the HIV virus originally came from a monkey. I remember in middle school hearing that a human had sex with a monkey and that is how the disease was introduced to mankind. Obviously that is a far fetched theory, but it goes to show how little is taught to correct such misconceptions about HIV. To be honest, this class is the first time I have ever heard real, logical theories presented about the origin of HIV. You would think that a major pandemic that kills masses of people around the world would be an important topic in middle or high school. Unfortunately, anything I learned about HIV in those years was from word of mouth or the television.

Also, I have really enjoyed how the QOTW has forced me to put myself in someone else's shoes - some very difficult shoes. The situations are always realistic and cause for some introspective thinking on my part. This week's QOTW made me wonder what some options are for tourists that are thinking ahead and want to stay safe in such a situation. The Western Province Blood Transfusion Service website gave a couple excellent options. First, they recommended completing a group compatibility profile if you are traveling with a group of people. This profile will show blood grouping and antibody screening tests conducted on each member of the party in order to find out which member could safely donate blood to another member in the group. Of course, each member in the group would also be tested for transfusion transmissible diseases.

Another option provided on the website was for tourists to carry blood collection bags and the equipment required for the transfusion. The bags and needles must be sealed and sterile. A physician or a nurse must be present to conduct the transfusion but the tourist would feel safer knowing the contents of their blood bag. Before this class, I would have never even thought about a possible blood transfusion before traveling to another country. I feel that after this lesson, if I were to travel out of the country, I would do all I can to educate myself about other countries' blood banks and how they screen donors.

For more information about traveling to Africa, please visit http://www.blood.org.za/tourists.html



******DID YOU KNOW!!*******
Did you know that the transmission of HIV from mother to child can occur in utero, during labor or after delivery? However, 65% of newborns with HIV become infected during labor. A cesarean section at 38 weeks can reduce the chance of HIV transmission during labor, but surgery can be very dangerous for the mother.
http://www.aafp.org/afp/2002/0515/p2049.html

Another week...

Hello my fellow bloggers! Yet another week has passed us by. This week has not been so great for me. Unfortunately, a lovely flu virus decided to inhabit my body and give me a temperature of 102 for two days! I am feeling much better today but I feel like I am playing catch up in all of my classes. I found the Question of the Week to be rather thought provoking this week. It is hard to imagine how I would feel and react in such a situation. It is hard to think that in a careless, drunken moment you can inherit a lifetime of struggle. It is so very important to practice safe sex. I was raised in a Christian, private school and all we were taught was abstinence. Abstinence is a beautiful idea but it is not a reality in the world we live in today. Teenagers need to learn about protection and what can happen if sex goes unprotected.


I also found our blogging topic to be very interesting. I found a unique ASO in Montreal called AIDS Community Care Montreal, or ACCM, and ended up searching through their website for almost an hour! I can only begin to describe all of the amazing programs they offer for HIV positive citizens, but I will do my best to give them justice. First, I looked at their mission statement and found them to be like most ASO's. They believe in building a society free from the stigma that HIV often entails. The ACCM strives to be a community resource to help citizens make informed decisions, ultimately resulting in a better quality of life for those infected with HIV and the prevention of transmission for others. All of their programs are offered in English and an increasing amount of programs are offered in French. However, every team member at the ACCM is bilingual and all programs are free of charge.


One goal of the ACCM is to offer a social setting free of judgement. They organize "Positive Mingles" throughout the year where people can meet and mingle without a worry of disclosure. They also offer a holiday season open house, summer BBQ's and an ice skating party. The ACCM has created a Drop In Resource Center that is available for coffee, social events, health promotion workshops and cooking demonstrations. The Center provides access to materials regarding HIV and the community and also offers referrals to other services.


The ACCM offers a series of workshops regarding different aspects of sexuality and HIV. You can take each workshop individually or partake in the whole series. There are workshops concerning relationships, sexuality, disclosure and communication. They also offer a variety of support groups. One support group called Positively Living provides information on concerns ranging from medication and nutrition to emotional health and sexuality. This support group is comprised of HIV positive, gay men and is primarily full of long term survivors. Another support group is the Spirituality Group. This group uses a variety of different belief systems to discuss topics such as life, mortality and afterlife. Latino Positivo is a bi-monthly support group offered completely in Spanish. The group covers information such as resources for refugees and/or immigrants.

The ACCM offers a Buddy Program to improve quality of life for an HIV positive citizen through the use of one on one support. A buddy must go through intense training before they are eligible to join the Buddy Program. Buddy training includes classes in HIV 101 and 102, Active Listening 101 and 102, Depression and Suicide, Harm Reduction, Death Dying and Bereavement, Transphobia, and Queerphobia.

This is a link to an ACCM HIV 101 Introduction Video. For some reason I am having problems uploading it onto my blog but I really wanted everyone to see the video. If anyone could let me know exactly how to transfer videos from YouTube to this blog, I would really appreciate it!

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gI4PLKL56dk

The ACCM also offers a Therapet Program in recognition of the healing powers a pet can have over its master. The Therapet Program offers bi-annual vet clinics with consultations, vaccinations and flea treatment medications at a reduced price. Participants in the Therapet Program are also eligible for the Emergency Pet Care Financial Assistance Program.

Another one of the many programs offered through ACCM is the Treatment Program. Tri-therapy anti-retroviral medication has provided a new hope for quality of life and life expectancy. However, it is not easy to become accustomed to the side effects and strict medication regimen. The Treatment Program supports people through the first months of a new or changing medication regimen. It is during this time that the side effects are the most severe. The Program also focuses on difficulties of adhering to the regimen and offers workshops to promote treatment literacy. Conferences are organized several times throughout the year to discuss specific HIV treatment topics.

One final program offered by the ACCM is the Buyers' Club. The Buyers' Club is a participant-run food cooperative that provides nutritious, high protein and low cost food for members on a monthly basis. Members can place an order ranging from $10-40 and this contribution plus donations from outside the club goes towards the bulk grocery purchase. The Buyers' Club was started in 1999 for members of the ACCM, but as of 2001 became available to other AIDS organizations in Montreal. Follow this link to see an example of the menu provided to participants:

http://www.accmontreal.org/en/documents/Order%20form%20English.pdf

I encourage you to check out the ACCM website. All of the information listed above is available.

http://www.accmontreal.org/en/about.html

***Did You Know?***

As you know by now, my "Did You Know" topic is HIV and pregnancy. Did you know that after a baby is born to an HIV positive mother, they must immediately undergo six months of treatment? This small window of time can reduce the risk of transmission by 60%.

http://www.marchofdimes.com/professionals/14332_1223.asp#head11

First Post!

Hello fellow bloggers! My name is Courtney and I am a senior at UCF. I will be graduating in May and I plan to continue my education with an MBA. Right now, I am working two jobs within a not-for-profit hospital chain in the Tampa Bay area.

One of my jobs is basic data entry at a Neuroscience Clinic. I enter specific information from patient files into a computer database. My favorite job is an internship with Morton Plant Mease Foundation. The Foundation offers insight into the philanthropic nature of not-for-profit hospitals. I really enjoy this job because my workload is always changing. There is always something new to do and I enjoy being busy. I help create the marketing materials such as quarterly newsletters and the yearly philanthropy report. I also help coordinate events for various societies within the Foundation.

Right now, I am doing extensive work with a society comprised of young adults, ages 21-35. It is nice to be among young individuals that want to make a difference in their community and believe in health care for all people. This society just finished raising the funds for a BabySIM for our hospitals. The BabySIM is a representation of a 3 to 6 month old infant that medical professionals can use to practice dangerous medical procedures. This is just one example of the great things I have been apart of since interning at the Foundation.

I am an experienced online student of UCF since I live hours away from campus. I will say that this class is definitely the most work-intensive class that I have come across. At first, I was not happy about this and almost wished that I had dropped the class. But now as I look deeply into the topics we will be learning, I think this class will be very interesting and beneficial to my career.

The first assignment was definitely a unique assignment. I had never heard of thrush before this assignment. I think it is a great idea for students to simulate thrush and feel a small extent of what HIV patients go through everyday. As if HIV itself is not enough to deal with, something as simple as eating and drinking becomes a difficult task due to this nasty infection. For those of you that are unfamiliar with what oral thrush looks like (I was once the same way), here is an example:

The thrush simulation assignment was definitely an eye opener. When you think of HIV, you do not think of the opportunistic infections that can come along with the disease. I think more people should educate themselves about this disease and what is being done to find a treatment. It should be one of the most important topics in medical studies.

**DID YOU KNOW**

I have chosen HIV and pregnancy as my topic for the "Did You Know" feature. I found that I am extremely uneducated when it comes to this topic. I thought that any woman that is HIV positive will transmit the virus to her unborn child. As I begin my research, I have found that this is definitely not the case. One interesting fact is that a vaginal delivery holds a much higher risk of transmitting the disease than a cesarean.

http://aidsinfo.nih.gov/ContentFiles/Perinatal_FS_en.pdf