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That's a great story. I think it's great how he took his diagnoses and, after coming to terms with it, did positive things in his life.
Posted by: VA Mom« on: December 12, 2010, 11:04:31 PM »
This is something I came across on the www....a young man shares how he got HIV and what happened next.
My name is Chris, and I live with HIV.
Posted by: VA Mom« on: December 06, 2010, 08:46:03 PM »
Mr U got the answers wrong. I asked him to read this info
I guess there are a lot of misconceptions about HIV transmission. I know a few things because of my lab career...but I am sure there have been some new developments since then so I read the info too.
Posted by: VA Mom« on: December 05, 2010, 08:49:00 PM »
I would imagine that it does. I have read that the foreskin membrane routinely rips & bleeds during sex.
Personally, I find uncirc'ed penises to be scary.
Posted by: Pookie« on: December 05, 2010, 08:43:57 PM »
Did YOu know that circing does NOT decrease the chance of STD's and AIDS?
Posted by: Melonhead« on: December 05, 2010, 03:50:40 PM »
I don't think I know anyone who is HIV+ or has AIDS. I know the basic facts about both.
Posted by: VA Mom« on: December 05, 2010, 03:27:54 PM »
Does anyone know a person / family living with this?
I recall that Mr U and I were friends with another couple. Actually I met and befriended the H @ work and once I introduced him to Mr U we all became friends. Anyway...the H cheated on the wife.
Somehow it came out that he used no condom & the person he cheated with was HIV +.
The wife was a wreck. She had to get tested and had to do repeat testing for awhile. She was so scared.
They ended up getting a divorce. The guy has never been the same.
Posted by: VA Mom« on: December 03, 2010, 12:03:31 PM »
I don't personally know anyone who has HIV or AIDS (that I know of.)
I know that they say getting HIV via casual contact is unlikely, but I would still be very wary. It seems like they really don't know.
Recently I saw the new Tyler Perry movie For Colored Girls Who Have Considered Suicide When the Rainbow is Enuf.
There are many concurrent story lines dealing with 4 to 5 women but the one that is relevent here is this one: Janet Jackson plays a high powered ad exec earning hundreds of thousands of dollars a year. She has a very handsome (& closeted homosexual) husband who enjoys occasional dalliances with men.
He gives her HIV.
Posted by: Judy« on: December 03, 2010, 11:23:29 AM »
December is National AIDS Awareness Month.
Has your life been touched by HIV / AIDS? Do you know anyone living with HIV / AIDS?
Do you know the answers to the following questions?
*What is the difference between HIV & AIDS?
*Can I get HIV from kissing?
*Can I get HIV from oral sex?
*How can I tell if someone has HIV / AIDS?
You can find the answers to these questions below:
What is Aids? What causes AIDS?
AIDS stands for Acquired Immune Deficiency Syndrome.
An HIV-positive person receives an AIDS diagnosis after developing one of the CDC-defined AIDS indicator illnesses. An HIV-positive person can also receive an AIDS diagnosis on the basis of certain blood tests (CD4 counts) and may not have experienced any serious illnesses. A positive HIV test does not mean that a person has AIDS. A diagnosis of AIDS is made by a physician according to the CDC AIDS Case Definition.
Over time, infection with HIV (Human Immunodeficiency Virus) can weaken the immune system to the point that the system has difficulty fighting off certain infections. These types of infections are known as opportunistic infections. Many of the infections that cause problems or that can be life-threatening for people with AIDS are usually controlled by a healthy immune system. The immune system of a person with AIDS has weakened to the point that medical intervention may be necessary to prevent or treat serious illness.
What is the Difference Between HIV and AIDS?
HIV is the virus that causes AIDS.
H - Human: because this virus can only infect human beings.
I - Immuno-deficiency: because the effect of the virus is to create a deficiency, a failure to work properly, within the body’s immune system.
V - Virus: because this organism is a virus, which means one of its characteristics is that it is incapable of reproducing by itself. It reproduces by taking over the machinery of the human cell.
A - Acquired: because it’s a condition one must acquire or get infected with; not something transmitted through the genes
I - Immune: because it affects the body’s immune system, the part of the body which usually works to fight off germs such as bacteria and viruses
D - Deficiency: because it makes the immune system deficient (makes it not work properly)
S - Syndrome: because someone with AIDS may experience a wide range of different diseases and opportunistic infections.
How long does it take for HIV to cause AIDS?
Currently, the average time between HIV infection and the appearance of signs that could lead to an AIDS diagnosis is 8-11 years. This time varies greatly from person to person and can depend on many factors including a person’s health status and behaviors. Today there are medical treatments that can slow down the rate at which HIV weakens the immune system. There are other treatments that can prevent or cure some of the illnesses associated with AIDS. As with other diseases, early detection offers more options for treatment and preventative health care.
How do people get infected with HIV?
HIV can be transmitted from an infected person to another through:
•Blood (including menstrual blood)
Blood contains the highest concentration of the virus, followed by semen, followed by vaginal fluids, followed by breast milk.
* Activities That Allow HIV Transmission
•Unprotected sexual contact
•Direct blood contact, including injection drug needles, blood transfusions, accidents in health care settings or certain blood products
•Mother to baby (before or during birth, or through breast milk)
Sexual intercourse (vaginal and anal): In the genitals and the rectum, HIV may infect the mucous membranes directly or enter through cuts and sores caused during intercourse (many of which would be unnoticed). Vaginal and anal intercourse is a high-risk practice.
Oral sex (mouth-penis, mouth-vagina): The mouth is an inhospitable environment for HIV (in semen, vaginal fluid or blood), meaning the risk of HIV transmission through the throat, gums, and oral membranes is lower than through vaginal or anal membranes. There are however, documented cases where HIV was transmitted orally, so we can’t say that getting HIV-infected semen, vaginal fluid or blood in the mouth is without risk. However, oral sex is considered a low risk practice.
Sharing injection needles: An injection needle can pass blood directly from one person’s bloodstream to another. It is a very efficient way to transmit a blood-borne virus. Sharing needles is considered a high-risk practice.
Mother to Child: It is possible for an HIV-infected mother to pass the virus directly before or during birth, or through breast milk. Breast milk contains HIV, and while small amounts of breast milk do not pose significant threat of infection to adults, it is a viable means of transmission to infants.
The following “bodily fluids” are NOT infectious:
Can I get HIV from kissing?
Casual contact through closed-mouth or “social” kissing is not a risk for transmission of HIV. Because of the potential for contact with blood during “French” or open-mouth, wet kissing, CDC recommends against engaging in this activity with a person known to be infected. However, the risk of acquiring HIV during open-mouth kissing is believed to be very low. CDC has investigated only one case of HIV infection that may be attributed to contact with blood during open-mouth kissing. In this case both partners had extensive dental problems including gingivitis (inflammation of the gums). It is likely that there was blood present in both partners’ mouths making direct blood to blood contact a possibility.
Can I get HIV from oral sex?
There is considerable debate within the HIV/AIDS prevention community regarding the risk of transmission of HIV through oral sex. What is currently known is that there is some risk associated with performing oral sex without protection; (there have been a few documented cases of HIV transmission through oral sex). While no one knows exactly what that risk is, cumulative evidence indicates that the risk is less than that of unprotected anal or vaginal sex. The risk from receiving oral sex, for both a man and a woman, is considered to be very low.
Currently, risk reduction options when performing oral sex on a man (fellatio) include the use of latex condoms, but also include withdrawal before ejaculation without a condom (avoiding semen in the mouth) and/or refraining from this activity when cuts or sores are present in the mouth.
When performing oral sex on a woman (cunnilingus), moisture barriers such as a dam (sheet of latex), a cut-open and flattened condom, or household plastic wrap can reduce the risk of exposure to vaginal secretions and/or blood.
Can I get HIV from casual contact?
(Shaking hands, hugging, using a toilet, drinking from the same glass, or the sneezing and coughing of an infected person.)
No. HIV is not transmitted by day to day contact in the home, the workplace, schools, or social settings. HIV is not transmitted through shaking hands, hugging or a casual kiss. You cannot become infected from a toilet seat, a drinking fountain, a doorknob, dishes, drinking glasses, food, or pets.
HIV is a fragile virus that does not live long outside the body. HIV is not an airborne or food borne virus. HIV is present in the blood, semen or vaginal secretions of an infected person and can be transmitted through unprotected vaginal, oral or anal sex or through sharing injection drug needles.
Visit AIDS.org for more info about HIV / AIDS
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