The Crisis of AIDS

1. The Crisis of AIDS The 21st Century Challenge By Jeff Faust

2. AIDS • What is AIDS? • The challenge To Ukraine as a Nation • Protecting yourself. • Note: Some parts of this presentation are of a sexual nature

3. What is AIDS? • Acquired Immune Deficiency Syndrome • AIDS is a collection of symptoms and infections in humans resulting from the specific damage to the immune system caused by human immunodeficiency virus (HIV). • The late stage of the condition leaves individuals prone to infections and tumors.

4. How can HIV be Transmitted? • Anal, vaginal or oral sex • Blood transfusion • Contaminated hypodermic needles • Exchange between mother and baby during pregnancy

5. AIDS has killed over 25 million people since it was first recognized. • In 2005 alone, AIDS claimed an estimated 2.4–3.3 million lives, of which more than 570,000 were children • Although treatments for AIDS and HIV exist to slow the virus’s progression, there is no known cure. • Wikipedia.com

6. AIDS and Ukraine • People in Ukraine living with AIDS in 2005: 410,000 (UN AIDS report) • More than 1% of the population • Because most people are never tested the actual number maybe much higher

7. A Lack of Preparedness • “Russian Health and Demography; A sickness of the soul” The Economist, September 9th, 2006 • Russia’s situation very close to Ukraine’s.

8. Russia's national sickness is now likely to worsen, because of AIDS. • Since the disease arrived so late, the Russians ought to have been ready. Instead, out of prudishness, intolerance and Soviet-style pig-headedness, the response was criminally lackadaisical. • attitudes, not cash, are the main obstacle

9. It's hard to explain to someone who feels well that they're going to die.” --Yulia Rakhina, head of an Irkutsk hospital • Young people do not use condoms, she says; even HIV-positive people are blasé. • Like all Russians, says Ms Rakhina, they want to live better, but do nothing about it.

10. The number of future infections,will depend on whether the epidemic continues to shift from drug-takers to the general population. • Irkutsk's infection rate reflects its big drug problem; but now, says Ms Rakhina, 70% of new female patients contract HIV from sex.

11. Ukraine: Anti-AIDS Efforts Undermined by Rights Abuses • A report from “Human Rights Watch” March 2, 2006 ( hrw.com ) • “The Ukrainian government’s considerable efforts to combat Europe’s worst HIV/AIDS epidemic are being undermined by its failure to end persistent violence and discrimination against people at highest risk of infection” [drug users]

12. Police abuse • Keeps drug users away from basic HIV-prevention services like needle exchange, in direct contradiction to government policy in support of such services. • Due to the criminalization of even trace amounts of drugs, drug users are easy targets for police seeking to fulfill arrest quotas.

13. Healthcare workers’ discriminatory practices • People working in healthcare frequently refuse to treat people they know or suspect of having HIV/AIDS • Routinely disclose confidential information about HIV status • Many people do not seek HIV testing out of fear that their status, if HIV-positive, could be revealed.  

14. Substitution therapy • Providing a substitute for illegal drugs • 60,000 drug users need substitution therapy, only 200 receive it. • This failure undermines the fight against AIDS and drug use.

15. Drug treatment clinics • Required to officially register drug users who are referred to them for treatment, and to share this information with law enforcement agencies. • Keeps many drug users from seeking healthcare or drug treatment services.

16. Antiretroviral drugs • Are available only to a small percentage of persons in need • Between April 2004 and December 2005, more than 2,600 people began antiretroviral treatment • Only a small fraction of the 17,300 people in urgent need of treatment.

17. Protecting yourself • The majority of HIV infections are acquired through unprotected sexual relations between partners, one of whom has HIV. • Unprotected receptive sexual acts are riskier than unprotected insertive sexual acts. • The risk for transmitting HIV through unprotected insertive anal intercourse greater than the risk for transmission through vaginal intercourse or oral sex.

18. Having another sexually transmitted disease (STDs) increases your risk of contracting HIV • There is approximately a four times greater risk of becoming infected with HIV in the presence of a genital ulcer such as those caused by syphilis

19. Condoms • During a sexual act, only male or female condomscan reduce the chances of infection with HIV and other STDs • The best evidence to date indicates that typical condom use reduces the risk of hetrosexual HIV transmission by approximately 80% over the long-term • The benefit is likely to be higher if condoms are used correctly on every occasion

20. Exposure to infected bodily fluids • This transmission route is particularly relevant to intravenous drug users and recipients of blood transfusions • Sharing and reusing syringes contaminated with HIV-infected blood represents a major risk for infection with not only HIV, but also hepatitis B and C.

21. The risk of contracting HIV by a blood transfusion is low in the developed world • Drug-users should not to share needles and other material required to prepare and take drugs (including syringes, cotton balls, straws, crack pipes, etc). • It is important that people use new or properly sterilized needles for each injection. • Information on cleaning needles using bleach is available from health care and addiction professionals and from needle exchanges

22. ABC Approach • Abstinence or delay of sexual activity, especially for youth, • Being faithful, especially for those in committed relationships, • Condom use, for those who engage in risky behavior.

23. CNN Approach • Condom use, for those who engage in risky behavior, • Needles, use clean ones, • Negotiating skills; negotiating safer sex with a partner and empowering women to make smart choices.