pelf-ism is contagious

Did you know that..

• HIV has infected more than 90 million people worldwide since the epidemic began?
• More than 40 million men, women and children are living with HIV/AIDS as of end of 2003?
• More than 17 million women and 2.2 million children are presently living with HIV/AIDS?
• 4.9 million people were newly infected with HIV in 2004; an average of 10 new infections every minute?
• 640,000 children were newly infected with HIV in 2004, and an additional 510,000 died of AIDS?!
• A total 3.1 million people have lost their lives to AIDS?

For more shocking statistics, click here.

Committed in our efforts to create a safe environment free from the harm of AIDS/HIV for the people in Malaysia.

- http://malaysianaidsfoundation.org.my

Did you also know that the increasing rate of AIDS infection in Malaysia can be attributed to various reasons? For example, the lack or awareness and education on AIDS/HIV and the misconception that HIV/AIDS relates only to certain high-risk groups leads some people to continue to practice unsafe behaviours and deny the need to undergo a HIV test.

If you have a minute to spare, learn about the economic and social impacts of AIDS/HIV. It is true that what you don’t know won’t hurt you. But it is also true that what you know can save YOUR life.

Besides information, the Malaysian AIDS Foundation also offers a host of assistance schemes, scholarship programs, project grants as well as media awards.

In order to support my HIV treatment, I started a small business by packing T-shirts for suppliers. I used a normal household iron in my business but this was very slow. With a loan from the Business Assistance Scheme, I purchased an industrial iron for my business. Before, I could only pack 500 T-shirts. Now, I pack about 1000 T-shirts a day. My income had since doubled.

-Annie, Businesswoman, HIV positive

Now, if you would like to make a donation to the Malaysian AIDS Foundation, check out their fundraising efforts. There are many ways to help support their work. For example you could make a general donation, create hope for people living with AIDS/HIV, help raise funds from the sale of YOUR products or services, volunteer your time and talent with them and through personal resolutions.

Rest assured that every-single-sen you donate will go a long way in helping people living with AIDS/HIV:

• 10 sen will help print one leaflet that can educate at least 5 people about AIDS/HIV prevention.
• RM 1 will help buy a condom to protect someone from HIV infection through one sexual encounter.
• RM 3 will help meet the basic essential needs of one child for a day.
• RM 12 will help buy one day’s supply of an antiretroviral drug that can help improve quality of life for a person living with AIDS/HIV.

For more information, head on to the Malaysian AIDS Foundation.

Merv is currently on a short blogging hiatus but I know he reads this. So, Merv, no need to buy this month’s CLEO, OK?

* * * * *

It’s World AIDS Day today, and I am using this opportunity to spread awareness about AIDS and the HIV virus. This is another community message brought to you by CLEO, via pelf-ism is contagious *winks*

When it comes to HIV, separating fact from fiction is the only way to ensure your safety.

- CLEO

MYTH: Only gay men are at risk.
FACT: HIV is mostly spread through sexual contact between women and men. On the singles front, the more times you have unprotected sex, the greater your risk of contracting the virus.

MYTH: If I don’t have anal sex, I won’t get infected.
FACT: HIV is carried in a person’s bodily fluids so it’s passed on through blood, semen and vaginal secretions. Any form of unprotected sexual contact can potentially spread the disease. The risk of transmission increases if you’ve cuts or sores in the vagina, penis, rectum and even the mouth.

MYTH: You can tell a person has HIV because they look sick.
FACT: The way a person looks is no indication of whether they have HIV. HIV carriers may look and feel healthy but they’re still able to transmit the virus to others.

MYTH: Oral sex is totally safe.
FACT: As long as your partner does not come in your mouth, there’s only a small risk of getting HIV from giving him oral sex. The risk goes up if you take semen into your mouth and swallow it - particularly if you’ve got cuts or undetectable bleeding caused by flossing or brushing your teeth, gum disease, ulcers or a sore throat.

MYTH: You can get HIV from kissing.
FACT: Saliva, sweat and tears may contain traces of HIV but don’t transmit the virus. Kissing is safe, hehehe :))

MYTH: HIV is not a big problem now.
FACT: As of December 2005, there are an estimated 40.3 million people living with HIV worldwide. In 2005, 2.6 million people died from AIDS-related conditions. If this is not a big problem, what is?!

MYTH: HIV and AIDS are the same thing.
FACT: HIV destroys certain blood cells which ensure our immune system works properly. AIDS is caused by the HIV and leads to one of a range of illnesses which destroys the normal working of the body’s immune system.

MYTH: The Pill can protect against HIV.
FACT: While birth control pills are extremely effective in preventing pregnancy, they offer no protection against HIV or other sexually-transmitted infections.

MYTH: Condoms provide 100% protection against HIV.
FACT: Though condoms are 98 to 99% effective in helping to prevent the spread of HIV, they’re NOT foolproof. Sometimes they break, slip off or are not worn correctly.

MYTH: The only way you can contract HIV with drugs is by injecting them.
FACT: The biggest problem with drugs and alcohol is they change your behaviour and make you prone to take risks you won’t normally take such as having sex without a condom.

MYTH: You can get HIV from a mosquito bite.
FACT: Unlike malaria, HIV does not reproduce easily outside the human body and cannot survive in the saliva of insects. HIV can mutate and hide inside the body, which makes it an almost invincible target. But once outside the human body, the virus is weak and cannot be sustained.

Now, if you do not agree with what you read, either say it nicely in the comment box, or get a copy of CLEO from the nearest newsstand

Around forty million people are living with HIV throughout the world - and that number increases in every region every day. In the UK alone, more than 60,000 people are living with HIV and more than 7,000 more are diagnosed every year. Ignorance and prejudice are fuelling the spread of a preventable disease.

World AIDS Day, 1 December is an opportunity for people worldwide to unite in the fight against HIV and AIDS. This year, it’s up to you, me and us to stop the spread of HIV and end prejudice.

- www.worldaidsday.org

OK, so this is what WE need to do:

• Wear a red ribbon as a sign of support for the 40 million people living with HIV worldwide, and encourage your friends and family to wear red ribbons as a sign that together we can stop the spread of HIV and bring an end to prejudice. Or you can just wear a virtual one, like the one I found. You can get one here, otherwise I am sure you can find one in the Internet.

• Talk to people. Your sister, colleague, neighbour, boss, client. Talking openly about HIV to your friends, family, colleagues or pupils is one of the most powerful ways of ending prejudice and preventing the spread of HIV. Bust AIDS-related myths. Or you can read personal stories of discrimination here and share them with your friends.

• Get involved in events. Attend one of the World AIDS Day events in your area. Run your own awareness activity. Organize a talk about it. Blog about it. Read about it.