Stigmas and Misconceptions

So, two entries ago, I mentioned that I would explain why it is so important for us to teach over in Tanzania. Unfortunately, misinformation about HIV is as rampant as the disease itself in southern Africa, and this misinformation leads people to make poor decisions, while stigmas make them afraid to get help.

In one of our weekly meetings for One Heart Source, we discussed some of the false information that has made its way around Sub-Saharan Africa, and it ranges from the slightly comical to the horrifyingly awful. Apparently a common myth is that condoms actually cause the disease; many people believe that the lubricant somehow carries HIV and by using a condom, people risk spreading the disease rather than preventing it. There is also a bizarre misunderstanding where people see condom demonstrations and come to the conclusion that, to protect themselves from HIV, they need to put a condom on a banana and place it on their bedside table. The worst rumor I learned about was the one spreading through South Africa, which tells people that having sex with a virgin will cure AIDS. Consequently, HIV+ men have resorted to raping young girls in an attempt to rid themselves of the disease. I don't think I need to point out that that is so horrifying on so many levels.

The stigma surrounding HIV/AIDS is also one of our biggest obstacles. People are so afraid of it that they won't get tested, and could be transmitting the disease without knowing it. And for individuals who get HIV, the stigma is often so terrifying that they either don't tell anyone, hide themselves away, or shut down. Yet, unlike popular belief, HIV is not a death sentence. Here's why:

(disclaimer: if you're already an expert on HIV/AIDS, feel free to stop reading here, but this is information that I was totally unaware of before I joined One Heart Source, and many people whom I have told it to were also unaware.)

HIV: Human Immunodeficiency Virus
AIDS: Acquired Immunodeficiency Syndrome

Did you know that HIV and AIDS are not the same thing? There are four stages through which the disease progresses, and AIDS only occurs in the last stage. This last stage only lasts a couple years, and precedes death. But the three stages before it are very interesting.

Stage 1: Primary Infection. These are the first couple of months after a person gets infected. He might feel sick for a while, but then the immune system creates antibodies and is able to decrease the number of HIV virus pathogens in the body.
(Side note: the reason we don't have a vaccine for HIV is that it interferes with the very system we rely upon to make vaccines. HIV attacks CD4 cells, which are like messengers in the immune system; they alert the body to pathogens and allow other cells to create specific antibodies for that pathogen. But if HIV destroys the CD4 cell, then the B-Cell, the antibody creator, doesn't know to create antibodies for the pathogen that is harming the body)

Stage 2: "The Quiet Period". This stage was the most interesting to me, because, even in third-world countries, it can last for up to seven years on average. (hence the reason why an HIV+ diagnosis isn't an immediate death sentence) During this stage, a person has HIV, not AIDS, and feels entirely normal. So this whole idea of someone being able to tell he has HIV is totally false. That's why it's so important for at-risk people to get tested; they could be spreading the disease without even knowing they have it. And even more interesting, the quiet period can be extended through a combination of a healthy lifestyle, love and support, and the right medicines. People can have HIV and still live lengthy, normal lives if they take the correct precautions. So, Magic Johnson? He doesn't actually have AIDS yet; he's still in the quiet period. Luckily for him, he has tons of money to make sure he has access to the latest and best antiretroviral drugs. But even people who don't have his advantages can greatly improve their chances.

Stage 3: Early HIV Infection. It is in this stage that the immune system starts to lose its battle with HIV and when a person starts to feel more severe symptoms. It is still possible to stall the disease, but much harder than in the "quiet period".

Stage 4: Advanced HIV/AIDS. In the US, AIDS is defined as when a person's CD4 count drops below 200 ppm. In the U.K., AIDS is when a person becomes infected with one of a list of severe diseases/infections. Either way, it is the most severe of the four stages.

But, interesting to note, it is not AIDS that kills a person. Because HIV/AIDS weaken the immune system, simple things like the common cold and flu become impossible to fight off. These sicknesses, called "opportunistic infections" are able to take advantage where they normally couldn't and affect an AIDS-infected person in ways they couldn't affect a healthy person.

So there you go, I know that's kind of depressing, but I hope it was at least informative and interesting!! Just imagine, if so few Americans know all this information (I know I didn't until a few months ago), how many know it in Sub-Saharan Africa? Not many. And that's why we educate.