PREVENTION AND CONTROL OF HIV/AIDS; STIGMATIZATION

CONTENT

1. Prevention of HIV/AIDS
2. Stigmatization of People Living with HIV/AIDS
3. The People Living with HIV/AIDS (PLWHA)
4. The Roles of the PLWHA
5. How the Community Can Help People Living with HIV/AIDS (PLWHA)
6. The Nine Canons of the PLWHA

Prevention of HIV/AIDS

Although there is no vaccine yet to prevent HIV infection, scientists are working to develop one. However, there are behaviours we can adopt to prevent and control the infection:

(i) Practice safer sex: stick to one faithful uninfected partner or abstain from sex or use condom each and every time you have sex.

(ii) Ensure thorough screening and certification of blood before transfusion.

(iii) Avoid the use of unsterilized skin piercing instruments.

(iv) Infected mothers should seek information from heart to heart centers before getting pregnant. More so, drug therapy, breast feeding and delivery options may have to be considered.

(v) The use of the ABC method. The acronym “ABC” stands for the following:

“A” for ABSTINENCE

“B” for BEING FAITHFUL to one’s partner

“C” for CONDOMS

The letter C can also be used to mean CAUTION

(vi) Individuals and medical personnel should insist on using fresh medical instruments like syringes and needles during infusion.