Do you know your status? Most radio listeners on Kauai have heard this tag line for Malama Pono Health Services Public Service Announcements regarding HIV, Hepatitis B & C and STDs. While it’s an important question to ask yourself, many
Do you know your status? Most radio listeners on Kauai have heard this tag line for Malama Pono Health Services Public Service Announcements regarding HIV, Hepatitis B & C and STDs. While it’s an important question to ask yourself, many would be embarrassed and some even offended to have a conversation about it. To help take the stigma away from talking about HIV/AIDS, Malama Pono is promoting National HIV Testing Day, Friday, June 27, and wants everyone in our island community to not only know their status, but learn more about HIV/AIDS.
What is HIV?
HIV (Human Immunodeficiency Virus) is the virus that causes AIDS (Acquired Immunodeficiency Disease). HIV damages the body’s immune system. The immune system protects the body from disease. People who have HIV in their bodies are said to have HIV infection or be HIV positive.
What is AIDS?
AIDS is the stage of HIV disease when an HIV-positive person’s immune system gets very weak. When this happens, other diseases and infections can enter the body. People can have HIV for years without getting sick. They may look and feel healthy. They may not even know they are infected. But people with HIV can pass the virus to their sex partners or to someone they share a needle with from the day they contact the infection.
How do people get HIV?
HIV is in the blood, semen and vaginal fluids of someone with HIV infection. Anyone who has unprotected oral, vaginal or anal sex with someone who has HIV can get HIV.
Sharing needles and works to inject drugs is another way to get HIV. Blood with HIV in it may be left in the needle or syringe and passed on to the next user. HIV can be passed by needles used to inject vitamins or steroids, and by needles used for tattoos or piercing.
HIV can be passed from a mother to the fetus in her womb. It can also be passed to the baby during birth or breastfeeding.
Hemophiliacs and others who received blood transfusions before 1985.
HIV is not passed by donating blood.
How HIV is not spread?
It is not spread by casual contact such as hugging, dry kissing or sharing food. HIV is not spread by telephones, toilet seats, towels or eating utensils. Mosquitoes do not spread HIV. It is not spread by tears, saliva, sweat or urine. HIV does not travel in the air. It must get into the bloodstream to infect a person.
Who is at risk?
It is not who you are but what you do that puts you at risk. Anyone on our island who has sex or shares needles with an HIV-infected person can get HIV. You are at risk for HIV infection if:
You have shared needles and all paraphernalia used to inject drugs, steroids, or vitamins or for tattooing or piercing.
You have ever had unprotected sex with anyone who has ever had unprotected sex, shared needles or who has had a blood transfusion or blood products be-fore 1985.
You are (or have ever been) a sex partner of someone with HIV or someone at risk for HIV infection.
You have hemophilia or received a blood transfusion before 1985.
You have been sexually assaulted.
You have ever had a sexually transmitted disease (STD).
Babies born to women with HIV disease are also at risk.
How is HIV prevented?
We on Kauai can protect ourselves and our ohana from HIV by lowering our risk of infection in a number of ways:
Not having sex is the best way to prevent sexual transmission of HIV.
Having sex only with a lifetime partner who is not infected and does not share needles is also safe. Remember that the misuse of alcohol and other drugs may affect your judgment leading to unsafe sex or sharing needles.
Symptoms of
HIV infection
Many of the symptoms of HIV infection are also symptoms of minor illnesses or infec-tions. But with HIV the symptoms either don’t go away or keep coming back. See a doctor if any of these symptoms persist:
Unexplained weight loss
Recurring fever
Drenching night sweats.
Unexplained tiredness.
Diarrhea.
Swollen lymph glands
Unexplained dry cough
Malama Pono
Malama Pono provides a variety of specialized, culturally appropriate HIV Education Programs for the community. All of its health educators are trained and certified by the Hawaii Department of Health. HIV Risk Reduction Literature and Condoms are free and available by request. Education programs are free and available for individuals, groups, and even workplace presentations are available. While all tests performed by Malama Pono Health Services are free and confidential, donations are always welcomed. Stop by Malama Pono Health Services at 4357 Rice St., Suite 101, in Lihue, Monday through Friday, 9:30 a.m. to 3:30 p.m. and start taking responsibility for your reproductive health. No shame in taking care!
Founded in 1986, Mālama Pono Health Service’s (Hawaiian “to righteously care for’) mission is “to stop the spread of HIV/AIDS, viral hepatitis and Sexually Transmitted Diseases (STDs) on Kauai and to serve those infected with or affected by these diseases.”
We accomplish our mission by pursuing a service portfolio which includes a range of human services including: case management; support at end of life; advocacy; community education; testing; and medical referrals. Mālama Pono Health Services is governed by a volunteer board of seven members, has a culturally competent staff of eight, and enjoys the assistance of almost 200 volunteers. MPHS is proud to be a United Way Agency.
In the past year
MPHS has offered:
668 HIV and Hep Counseling and Testing Sessions
18 “Condom Sense” educational sessions with over 300 youth directly resulting increased condom use among youth (46.2 percent report using condoms).
Support services, including case management, food pantry, medications assistance, housing support and more to 52 individuals living with HIV/AIDS
Disbursed 4,400 condoms and 1,758 safer sex kits
• Mistee Bailey-Myrick is Malama Pono Health Services executive director.
