A few years ago, I took a class at ETSU: Biology and Beyond which was a course that dealt with education on HIV and the history of AIDS. I wanted to learn more about the disease so I signed up for the class. It was one that would forever change my life. While taking the class, I was not only able to hear the stories of extraordinary people but I also learned of their horrific, yet heroic lives after discovering they were living with HIV. Today, our global community ignores the fact that HIV and AIDS is on the rise again and as the memory of those lost to AIDS seemingly fades in the eyes of our leaders; their voices should forever be heard throughout the world.

HIV and AIDS are as different as Night and Day, HIV is Life and AIDS is (still) a death sentence.

You can live with HIV but you will die of AIDS. You can fight the battle as hard as your body will allow but AIDS will win the war. While our leaders refuse to spend more money and time on prevention, people continue to die and AIDS is gaining ground on us as a global community.

We haven’t found AIDS to be contained at any point since its first appearance in 1981, when the CDC learned of the epidemic that would later be referred to as AIDS (Acquired Immune Deficiency Syndrome). By the year 2000, an estimated 36.1 million people were living with HIV/AIDS and an estimated 800,000-900,000 people were living with the virus in the United States. According to statistics posted at http://www.one.org , 38 million people are now infected by HIV/AIDS. While some say there is progression toward finding a cure, many are blinded by facts that simply don’t exist. While some will convince themselves it will not affect them or their lives, an estimated 2.8 million people died in 2005 and in that same year, an estimated 4.1 million people were infected with the virus (2006 Report on the Global AIDS epidemic, UNAIDS, May 2006). With rising numbers once again, eventually this disease will affect you or someone you know.

The timeline of the disease is staggering and those lives that have been affected by HIV and AIDS include far more than the names we will all remember. I have the permanent stories of Kimberly Bergalis, Elizabeth Glaser, Debbie Runions, and a precious little boy named Ryan White forever in my mind. All of these individuals seemed to live with great bravery yet they have died in vain if this country doesn’t begin to take a stand now.

I really believe that tomorrow will come with a hellish vengeance if today we ignore what we should’ve done yesterday about this disease.

There’s no question about it. When I first signed up for the Biology and Beyond Class, I thought there would eventually be a cure for AIDS. However, by the end of the semester, after I spent time working at a local hospital where there were patients diagnosed with the disease, I saw their vision. There wasn’t one. It’s ironic really, many of those people living with HIV, and later even in the face of death, felt as if they were just the early victims. They knew others would follow and those who died, knew the tomorrow they wouldn’t see held the same for many more victims as they started to battle for their own last days. The reason is apparent now but back then, it wasn’t that clear to me. HIV and AIDS patients knew there was too much of a stigma attached for full awareness to ever be successful. This is thanks to misdirected political agendas and it still exists today.

In 1992, Elizabeth Glaser addressed the Democratic National Convention and stated, “Exactly 4 years ago, my daughter died of AIDS. She did not survive the Reagan administration. I am here because my son and I may not survive 4 more years of leaders who say they care but do nothing.” She later went on to say, “America Wake up. We are all in a struggle between life and death.”

Elizabeth Glaser pleaded with our leaders in 1992 and all who were in attendance heard her but chose to do nothing. Today, we sit at a standstill as our elected and appointed officials decide how to spend more money and more time just to avoid accepting responsibility. I absolutely believe that tomorrow will come with a hellish vengeance if today we ignore what we should’ve done yesterday about this disease. There is no doubt in my mind.

While state and federal leaders spent hours opposing online wagering, ironically, they were gambling with the lives of those who could’ve used their support and would have appreciated the appropriated funds to work toward the fight against AIDS. Instead, our government chose to play craps with human lives and people continued to die.

The fact is, Americans have been led to believe through silence that the AIDS epidemic was on a road that would soon end when in actuality; the spread of HIV has apparently taken a U-Turn when you look at the shocking numbers above.

Let Us Stop This Disease Before It Stops All of Us Who Are Left

While I was a student at ETSU, I had the opportunity to meet Debbie Runions who became an advocate for the education and prevention of AIDS. Debbie, after just one sexual encounter became very ill three weeks later and three months later tested positive for HIV. That was in 1992. She too, addressed the Democratic National Convention in 1996 and she too was heard. Our politicians then simply pushed forward in another direction. Debbie died in October of 2005.

When I heard her speak at ETSU and later had the opportunity to sit down and talk with her, I discovered what her life had been like after she was diagnosed with HIV. She talked openly and honestly about her disease. She surprised me when she talked about the fact that she was thankful she had been given the opportunity to have the disease because of what it had allowed her to do. I learned later that was Debbie. She radiated optimism. Debbie knew her fate was sealed yet she chose to make the most of the life she had to live while she could live it even if it would be within the parameters and limitations of living with the virus.

Debbie’s story will always be imbedded in my mind. I can honestly say after hearing her speak, I was deeply humbled and truly feel she made a profound difference in so many lives. She had a gift to give through her message and her spirit will live on forever but her hope for political intervention may not.

While our politicians have been slinging mud at one another, their efforts could’ve been redirected in a more positive light. Instead of ministers on television running around with an entourage of followers running up astronomical bills on lavish lifestyles, they too could help. Instead of picking up prostitutes on their congregation’s dollars, they could make a choice to spend their money to save a family ridden by poverty and AIDS.

Our country and the entire global community must understand, this disease doesn’t just pick out favorites. It attacks people of all races, young and old, straight and gay. The disease is not interested in what you look like, who you’ve slept with, or what drug you’ve put in a needle. This disease takes hostages and then slowly but surely, begins terrorizing them with the stigma of the disease itself and the fear of dying.

We do have an epidemic on our hands. While our leaders have gone from one issue to another, people have gotten sick. While meetings were conducted to decide something as frivolous as whether or not Americans could have the freedom to gamble online, more people died. While a television evangelist took his body guards out for another four thousand dollar outing, countless people clung to their one dollar a week and still others were left in the epitome of poverty because of the high cost of health care and medications for a person living with HIV.

What have we decided holds value in this country? Does a human life no longer hold any substantial meaning to those in political office with the means to do something to help mankind? Apparently not, but as Americans, we have an obligation to do something to help. This is our world and our problem.

We no longer have the Debbie Runions and Elizabeth Glasers to speak out at the Democratic Conventions. Now it is up to everyone else to lead by their example. Visit ONE and start doing your best to make a difference. Global AIDS and extreme poverty is more important than who’s sleeping with whom. It’s far more detrimental to our society than any online gambling campaign just to prove a political point and it is certainly more important than listening to the ramblings of a television evangelist asking for your money so he can go buy his methamphetamines.

Isn’t it time after all the pleading from those who had their lives cut short that we finally take a stand? Isn’t it time we demand for our government to take the initiative to fight extreme poverty and Global AIDS? Isn’t it time for a day of reckoning? The debt we’ve paid to this global crisis has already been way too high. It’s time this country took a stand on the important issues at hand. It is time for retribution.

I wanted to take the time to talk to you about the snoring aids that people can use to fix this problem. There are people that literally go their entire lives doing this. What is even sadder is that there is usually a wife or husband that has to listen to it for an entire marriage. I honestly don’t know how anyone could do that, but there are a lot of strong people out there. The point is that it isn’t fair to those people around you that have to listen to you snore. It’s time to stop putting them through misery by using snoring aids that will help provide results.

I’m sure you’ve heard about the mouth guard on television. It looks just like a sports mouth guard that you wear to bed and it stops you from snoring. The reason that this works is that it controls the position of your jaw. When you sleep, your jaw becomes unsupported and it will rest on your throat. This leads to a lot of pressure and you end up creating snoring sounds. The mouth guard works perfectly fine at controlling the jaw, but I don’t like it since saliva builds up in my mouth and I literally wake up in the middle of the night choking on it.

Another one of the snoring aids is a jaw supporter. It also controls the jaw like a mouth guard, except it wraps around your chin and the top of your head. I like this much better because it is a lot more comfortable on the outside of your head, instead of in your mouth.

Learn more about the Anti-Snoring Device

Uganda is one of the most beautiful bastions of the African wilderness and has everything for a global tourist or even a backpacker. From trekking opportunities in the volcanic Great Rift Valley to exploring the Gorilla hideouts deep in the mountains; from sunbathing at the isolated and magnificent beaches on the Ssese Islands that seem to be floating in Lake Victoria to being captivated by the mystic Jinja, the source point for the great river Nile, Uganda has just about anything.

Why Volunteer In Uganda

Uganda has a wealth of natural resources but at the same time, it is also a poverty stricken country that has been through civil wars, a cannibalistic dictator and also comes under the AIDS/HIV radar. Volunteering in Uganda will not only open you mind to different cultures and a society that has existed since the early civilizations but also to the depravation that people in Africa have learnt to carry in their stride for too long.

Types Of Projects Available.

As a part of volunteering in Uganda, you will get to choose the kind of project you are interested in. The different types if projects available include:

Working with Ugandan orphanages: You will get to work with the hundreds and thousands of orphans who have either lost their parents in a war or who have been left homeless by famines. These orphaned children would probably die due to malnutrition but with a little care can grow up to be the future of the country.

Teaching: There are different languages that you can teach in Uganda but the most prominent being English. There are projects for teaching English to elementary school children and even orphans in a small village called Niyakasiru.

Community Development: In Uganda, there are no communities but groups of villages get together to support each other through all the strife and disasters that have struck the country in the recent past. As a part of the community development project, you can contribute a lot towards creating health awareness, take care of various problems being faced in the day-to-day life by Ugandans and work at temporary teachers in their schools, which are not even sub-standard.

HIV/AIDS Project: Africa is believed to have the maximum number of HIV/AIDS affected people. Hence this is the first place to start. In a world where scientists are trying every method possible to develop a miracle medicine for AIDS, the only way to fight it right now is by making people aware of the consequences.

As a part of the AIDS/HIV program, you will get to take care of people who are already suffering from it and also at the same time, work with community programs to offer more information on how to prevent it in the first place.

Community Work with the tribal: There are different types of tribes in Uganda and as a volunteer in Uganda, you will get to concentrate your efforts towards helping the tribal children and women.

Health Projects: There are several health projects that you can contribute to. The medical infrastructure in Uganda is not strong enough and you assistance in developing one can do a lot of good to the country’s future.

- Conservation Projects: There are different types of conservation projects in Uganda that vary from water conservation to Gorilla and Chimpanzee conservations. These are interesting projects and will help in keeping the African Wilderness alive

Volunteer Requirements

Age: The minimum age for volunteering in Uganda should be 16 or older. Experience: There is no experience required for most of the programs.

But if you are volunteering for specialized programs in clinical operation or in HIV/AIDS programs then you will need to have some amount of experience or certification to assist in medical treatments etc.

Application process: You will need to provide a resume to start with. All volunteer programs in Uganda are open to participants from all over the world and to individuals, families and couples.

Fee and Other details

There is a fee attached to each of the projects that you volunteer for. The fee is charged in advance and is charged for the following:

1. Housing

2. Food/meals

3. In-country training

4. Transportation within the region

5. Staff support

Conclusion

There is so much that you can contribute to in Uganda and to its people. Africa is considered to be the cradle of civilization and it’s high time everyone started looking at it as one and treating the people out there with equal respect.

POSSIBLE CAUSE OF HELPER T CELL DEPLETION

IN AIDS-THE LYMPHOCYTE WEAKENING FACTOR

HYPOTHESIS.

Enoh Nkongho Kingsly(MBBS)

Dept. of Neurosurgery,

Beilinson Hospital, Petach Tikva, Israel.

INTRODUCTION

Albert Lyons while concluding the introductory page of his book on the history of medicine wrote, ‘To which erroneous doctrines do we in the twentieth century still cling? If we knew with certainty that they were wrong, we would discard them. Instead, we search and wait and hope’. (2) Although this question was directed at scientists in the twentieth century, it still applies to us today. A capital example of an erroneous doctrine today may be the HIV/AIDS hypothesis.

Since its birth at press conference in Washington DC on April 23 1984, (2) the hypothesis has been published in books, taught in schools, supported by the media and praised in international forums (17, 18) . Tons of dollars have been and are still being spent on HIV/AIDS research (12,16). Yet, no cure or vaccine against the disease has been developed. One wonders why scientists are still tenaciously clinging to this hypothesis. Whether it is because of their own selfish interests and personal gains (1, 4) or because they are genuinely ignorant of the true pathogenesis of AIDS remains a mystery.

It is important that the mechanism of helper T cell depletion in AIDS be closely looked into by the rational scientific world and alternative hypotheses on the disease (rather than the HIV/AIDS hypothesis) be encouraged for the benefit of millions (7) habouring the causative agent, those having full blown AIDS and mankind as a whole.

A hypothesis on the mechanism of helper T cell depletion is presented here, by looking at the controversies surrounding the popular HIV/AIDS hypothesis.

THE HYPOTHESIS.

Since the HIV has never been isolated, following internationally accepted procedures for the isolation of retroviruses and only proteins/glycoproteins particles have been isolated(13,14,15) these could be fragments of secreted substances from the causative agent of AIDS itself, whatever it may be. These substances which the author will call Lymphocyte Weakening Factors (LWF’s) when secreted, attach themselves to the cell surfaces of helper T cells, rendering them “weakened “and “confused”. This activates a cascade of confusion involving the whole immune system.

It should be recalled that in the presence of an antigen, helper T cells initiate an immune response, mediate antigen-specific effector responses and regulate the activity of leucocytes (cytotoxic T cells, Natural Killer cells, suppressor T cells, macrophages, etc) by secreting soluble substances (cytokines and interleukins) (8).

When LWF’s bind to the cell membrane of a helper T cell, they alter the proteins, lipids and carbohydrates in it. The helper T cell then sends confused signals to B cells which in turn secrete “useless antibodies” against the LWF’s and not the attacking organism/causative agent. Thus, the causative agent of AIDS stays unharmed, producing more LWF”s and the cycle of events continues. Other cells of the immune system are confused as well, producing an ineffective immune response.

Due to their reduced life span, weakened helper T cells decline in number and are eventually depleted leading to immune deficiency and the symptoms of AIDS. RNA viruses also invade a very few number of susceptible weakened helper T cells for their replication, with little or no harmful effect to the cells (10).

Incidental findings of these viruses on some of the weakened helper T cells may have led to the possibly erroneous HIV/AIDS hypothesis. Also some antibodies have been identified in AIDS patients (for example, by Robert Gallo and his team, who designed and patented their HIV tests) during research and may be the “useless” antibodies against secreted LWF’s (11). ‘Viral particles’ ‘markers’, etc, have also been observed by reseachers (, 13, 14, 15) and could be LWF’s themselves.

Therefore, consideration must be taken of other microorganisms as the probable cause of AIDS during research , apart from the “HIV”. Following this line of thinking, it is hoped that more fruitful results will be achieved.

EVALUATION OF THE HYPOTHESIS.

The fact the some researchers believe AIDS is not caused by a virus(5,9,13,14,15) and HIV has never been isolated following internationally accepted procedures for the isolation of retroviral particles seem to buttress the LWF Hypothesis. Retroviral particles are supposed to be located in the sediment bands at 1.16g/ml sucrose. An attempt by some researchers to isolate the virus had failed .Proteins/glycoproteins isolated from stimulated cultures form the basis of serological tests for ‘HIV’. Such proteins as gp160/150, gp120, gp41/45, p34/32, p24; said to be unique to ‘HIV’ could be fragments of LWF’s! (14, 15, 16, 17)

Other researchers believe that AIDS may be caused by a TB-type bacterium (6) and some, by a toxin. (13,14,15).This also supports the fact that helper T cell depletion may be caused by other mechanisms such as the LWF hypothesis, other than the HIV/AIDS hypothesis.

Therefore, during research, a closer look should be taken at antibody-antigen interactions for more insight into the mystery surrounding AIDS.

Also, all patients tested positive for LWF’s (the so called positive ‘HIV’ test) should have a thorough biopsy examination of a palpable groin node or any other accessible lymph nodes for possible presence of other causative agents of the disease apart from ‘HIV’.

CONSEQUENCES OF THE HYPOTHESIS AND DISCUSSION

From the foregoing discussion, it can be concluded that:

- AIDS may be caused by other micro-organisms other than the ‘HIV’ and helper T cell depletion may be caused by substances (LWF’s) secreted by the unknown causative agent.

-The presence of the asymptomatic or symptomatic stages (AIDS) can be detected by serological methods such as the Determine strips developed by Abbott Laboratories .The so called ‘viral antigens’ incorporated into the test strips could be fragments of LWF’s and the strips could be actually detecting the presence in blood of useless antibodies against LWF’s and not antibodies against a virus.

-Other hypotheses such as the LWF hypothesis should be considered during AIDS research in order for positive results to be yielded.

If one wishes to follow the example of ‘the seven wonders of the ancient world’ to name ‘the seven mysterious diseases of the world’ one is sure to put the AIDS topmost on the

REFERENCES.

1. Albert B, Shine K. Scientists and integrity of research. Science 1994; 226:1660-1661

2. Albert SL, Joseph RP. Medicine- An Illustrated History. New York: Harry N. Abrams Inc; 1987: 8-9

3. Altman LK. “Researchers believe AIDS virus is found”. The New York Times 1984 April 24:C1 and C3

4. Bell R. Impure science: Fraud, compromise and political influence in scientific research. New York: John Wiley & Sons; 1992: 301

5. Broxmeyer L. Is AIDS really caused by a virus? Med Hypotheses.2003 May;60 (50):671-688

6. Cantwell AR: Do TB-type bacteria cause AIDS?JOIMR 2007; 5:1-7

7. CDC. HIV/AIDS Surveillance Report. Center for Disease Control and Prevention.1999

8. Daniel PS, Abba IT. Basic Human Immunology. London: Appleton & Lange; 1991: 61-65

9. De Harvin E. Pioneer deplores “HIV” “maintaining errors is evil”. Continuum. London.1997-1998; 5(2): 24

10. Fauci AS. Immunopatogenesis of HIV infection. J Acq Immunodeficiency Syndromes 1993; 6; 655-662

11. Gallo, et al. United States Patent No. 4520113, 1985

12. Mitchell D. Clinton Foundation targets health systems combating AIDS pandemic. Reuters Health Information, February 19, 2003

13. Papadopulos-Eleopulos E, Turner VF, Papadimitrion JM & Causer D. The Isolation of HIV: has it really been achieved; The case against. Continuum (London) 1996:4(6):S1-S24

14. Papadopulos-Eleopulos E, Turner VF, Papadimitrion JM & Causer D. HIV antibodies: further questions and plea for clarification. Curr Med Res Opin 1997; 13:627-634

15. Papadopulos-Eleopulos E, Turner VF, Papadimitrion JM, el al. Why no whole virus? Continuum(London) 1997; 4(5):27-30

16. Strom S. Grant will support development of topical HIV medications. The New York Times 2003; April 1

17. “The Durban Declaration”. Nature July 6, 2000; 406:15-16

18. “The New York Times Declaration”. HIV causes AIDS. To argue otherwise costs lives. The New York Times, July 9, 2000: L-11

If you are like the many millions of people who have bought digital hearing aids, you probably did not fully understand all of the mechanisms at play inside of that new hearing aid. You had your hearing tested and were told which hearing aids would work best for your hearing loss. So, just what are digital hearing aids and what makes them different?

Digital hearing aids use computer technology. The comfort and sound level that you hear can be custom-tailored to your unique hearing loss. This is accomplished by connecting the digital hearing aids to a computer and programming them to your loss. But, there are non-digital / analog hearing aids that can be programmed this way too. So, what are the differences between digital hearing aids and analog?

Hearing aids receive sound through the microphone. Distortion and noise are added to the sound from the microphone. This is because microphones make noise. Analog hearing aids pass the sound on to you with the noise and distortion. Digital hearing instruments clean sounds as they come into the hearing aids so that there is less noise and distortion. The sound is then sent to the amplifier, where your digital hearing aids measure the sound and decide how much power to add in order for you to hear.

After being amplified the sound is sent to the receiver ( the speaker ) and is then cleaned up again before being sent to your ear. This is also where digital hearing aids look for feedback ( whistling ) and work to cancel it before the feedback happens. Digital hearing aids actually perform millions of complex calculations in less than the blink of an eye, so fast you cannot even tell it has happened. The entire process is extremely complicated. Digital hearing aids are able to be set more precisely to your hearing loss. Digital hearing aids also have a wide array of circuitry inside them that control the comfort of the sound and make speech easier to hear in noise.

Why Do Some People Have Difficulty Changing from Analog to Digital Hearing Aids?

Some people who have worn analog hearing aids for a long period of time have been unsucessful when they first tried digital hearing aids. If digital is so much better, why do these people not like them? Over time we are conditions to like or dislike certain things. Many people did not like some kind of food when they were young, but later they learn to like it. We call this developing a taste for it. The same is true with switching from analog to digital hearing aids, especially if you were happy with your analog hearing aids.

Your brain becomes accustomed to hearing sounds a certain way, particularly if you felt positive about the way it sounded with your analog hearing aid. The sound is a whole lot more crisp and full when you first put on your new digital hearing aids. This can be overpowering to some and the immediate reaction is to not like it. That’s when many people make one of two mistakes. They try to tough it out and get used to their digital hearing aids, or they just give up. The problem with “toughing it out” is that it can be extremely painful to hear all of these new sounds when you are not used to hearing them. Then your new digital hearing aids becomes your enemy! Giving up doesn’t help anything either.

When this is the case, the best way for you to adapt to your digital hearing aids is gradually. Your professional can tone them down so that the sound is comfortable, and then gradually introduce more sound over time as you adjust. It may take several visits to the office for adjustments until you get the maximum benefit from your digital hearing aids. But if you persevere, your digital hearing aids will reward you with much better hearing.

Acquired Immune Deficiency Syndrome is known as AIDS in the short form. AIDS is in fact the collection of certain symptoms and infections in the human organism which permanently leads to the damage of the human immune system. AIDS is in other ways considered as the body’s defence system which hampers the normal functioning of the body organs to a great extent. The basic cause of AIDS is the two types of viruses, namely the HIV 1 and the HIV 2. Basically these two types of viruses are thus responsible in the performance of the defence mechanism system of the body.

The most common cause of AIDS is considered to be the unprotected sex. Sex without taking proper precaution like condom is very much responsible for AIDS. AIDS is generally transmitted through the semen. It is estimated that more than three million people round the globe had died through AIDS. During the prenatal stage also it is found that the mother will transmit the disease to the fetus before it is born. AIDS is transferred to the blood through the means of transfusion of blood into another’s body cell. Besides these, AIDS can also be caused through the use of injections which are not properly sterilized in the process of taking drugs or blood into the veins.

Symptoms of AIDS are not visible at the early stage. But at least after a period of 3 to 6 weeks the symptoms of AIDS can be noticed through certain flu like sickness. Besides these, symptoms like headache, nausea, fever, fatigue, diarrhea, etc. are also considered as other AIDS symptoms. But it can be mentioned out here though these symptoms occur in an AIDS patient, it lasts for only a temporary period of time after which it disappears. Sometimes acute AIDS symptoms also cannot be considered as the symptoms of AIDS, as they may also be found to be very much common to other forms of diseases. Thus symptoms either mild or severe cannot be considered as solely the symptoms of AIDS as other forms of sickness or diseases also witness the similar symptoms. But however, when the disease reaches its critical stage, the symptoms become very much acute thus leading to loss of weight, recurrent fever and also occurrence of certain fatal diseases. AIDS thus totally destroys the immune system of the body totally. AIDS is thus a deadly disease which is the result of unprotected sex, hence to prevent it is to avoid unprotected sex.

HIV/AIDS is the global issue of new era of science and technology and we should know that the problem of widespread AIDS is challenge for human survival. Children and young people need to be equipped with the knowledge, attitudes, values and skills that will help them face these challenges and assist them in making healthy life-style choices as they grow. Education delivered through schools is one of the ways through which children can be helped to face these challenges and make such choices.

Providing information about HIV (transmission, risk factors, how to avoid infection) is necessary, but not sufficient, to lead to healthy behavioral change. Programs that provide accurate information, to counteract the myths and misinformation, frequently report improvements in knowledge and attitudes, but this is poorly correlated with behavioral change related to risk taking and desirable behavioral outcomes. Education can be effective in the more difficult task of achieving and sustaining behavior change about HIV/AIDS. The schools can either be a place that practices discrimination, prejudice and undue fear or one that demonstrates society’s commitment to equity.School policies need to ensure that every child and adolescent has the right to life education; particularly when that education is necessary for survival and avoidance of HIV infection.

HIV infection is one of the major problems facing school-age children today. They face fear if they are ignorant, discrimination if they or a family member or friend is infected, and suffering and death if they are not able to protect themselves from this preventable disease.

It is estimated that 40 million people, worldwide, are living with HIV or have AIDS, at least a third of these are young people aged 15-24. In 1998 more than 3 million young people worldwide became infected including 590,000 children under 15. More than 8,500 children and young people become infected with HIV each day. In many countries over 50% of all infections are among 15-24 years old, who will likely develop AIDS in a period ranging from several months to more than 10 years.

Studies have shown the enormous impact HIV and AIDS have on the education sector and the quality of education provided, particularly in certain regions of the world such as Sub Saharan Africa. Consequences of the AIDS epidemic include a probable decrease in the demand for education, coupled with absenteeism and an increase in the number of orphans and school drop out, especially among girls. Girls are socially and economically more vulnerable to conditions that force people to accept risk of HIV infection in order to survive. A decrease in education for girls will have serious negative effects on progress made over the past decade toward providing an adequate education for girls and women. Reduced numbers of classes or schools, a shortage of teachers and other personnel, and shrinking resources for educational systems all impair the prospects for education.

Effective HIV/AIDS education and prevention is needed in all schools for all children so that no one is left ignorant. Yet in many places schools are apprehensive about providing sex education or discussions of sexuality because of cultural demands to protect adolescents from sexual experience. Women often lack skills needed to communicate their concerns with their sexual partners and to practice behaviors that reduce their risk of infection, such as condom use, which is often controlled by men.

The school can either be a place that practices discrimination, prejudice and undue fear or one that demonstrates society’s commitment to equity. School policies need to ensure that every child and adolescent has the right to HIV/AIDS education; particularly when that education is necessary for survival and avoidance of HIV infection.

A UNAIDS review (1997) of 53 studies which assessed the effectiveness of programs to prevent HIV infection and related health problems among young people concluded that sex education programs do not lead to earlier or increased sexual activity among young people, in fact the opposite seems to be true. 22 reported that HIV and/or sexual health education either delayed the onset of sexual activity, reduced the number of sexual partners or reduced unplanned pregnancies and STD rates. 27 studies reported that HIV/AIDS and sexual health neither increased nor decreased sexual activity, pregnancy or STD.

The review concluded that school based interventions are an effective way to reduce risk behaviors associated with HIV/AIDS/STD among children and adolescents.

There are three main objectives for this paper to integrate the education effectively with the HIV/AIDS preventions and other health aspects related with it.

These are as follows:

Objectives:

1) Health education focusing on HIV/AIDS prevention.

2) Raising awareness about HIV/AIDS among educators and learners.

3) Stimulate peer support and HIV/AIDS counseling in schools.

The main focus of the paper is to give the importance to the HIV/AIDS precaution with the health education raising the awareness about it among all the students as well as their teachers also and provide the supportive environment for the HIV/AIDS education for all.

Need of HIV/AIDS education:

In area such as HIV/AIDS prevention individual behavior, social and peer pressure, cultural norms and abusive relationships may all contribute to the health and lifestyle problems of children and adolescents. There is now increasing evidence that in tackling these issues and health problems, a healthy approach to HIV/AIDS and sex education works, and is more effective than teaching knowledge alone. T

here are numerous studies indicating that providing information about issues such as sex, STDs (Sexually Transmitted Diseases) and HIV (transmission, risk factors, how to avoid infection) is necessary, but not sufficient, to lead to healthy behavioral change (Hubley, 2000). Programs that provide accurate information, to counteract the myths and misinformation, frequently report improvements in knowledge and attitudes, but this is poorly correlated with behavioral change related to risk taking and desirable behavioral outcomes (Gatawa 1995, UNAIDS 1997a). HIV/AIDS with health education can be effective in the more difficult task of achieving and sustaining behavior change.

Health education with HIV/AIDS is widely applicable:

This problems largely affecting men and women as well as older children and adolescents, both this age group and younger children also face a wider range of health problems where education can play a vital role in sustainable prevention and management. Health education with HIV/AIDS programs plays a vital role in preventing infections. This is done through promoting knowledge of areas such as symptoms, transmission, and behaviors that are specifically relevant to many infection in each community; attitudes such as responsibility for personal, family and community health, confidence to change unhealthy habits; skills such as avoiding behaviors that are likely to cause infection, encourage others to change unhealthy habits, communicate messages about infection to families, peers and members of the community (WHO, 1996).

 This kind of health education with HIV/AIDS prevention focuses upon the development of Knowledge, Attitudes, Values, and Skills (including life skills such as inter-personal skills, critical and creative thinking, decision making and self awareness) needed to make and act on the most appropriate and positive health-related decisions. Health in this context extends beyond physical health to include psycho-social and environmental health issues.

This approach utilizes student centered and participatory methodologies, giving participants the opportunity to explore and acquire health promoting knowledge, attitudes and values and to practice the skills they need to avoid risky and unhealthy situations and adopt and sustain healthier life styles.

HIV/AIDS – a critical need for health education:

HIV/AIDS is an area where the scale and impact of the problem is such that the urgency of implementing preventative measures, including health education, is critical. Health education programs are being increasingly adopted as means of reaching children and young people to help halt the spread of this crippling epidemic. Studies from African countries show that children between the ages of 5 and 14 have the lowest prevalence of HIV infection. Below the age of 5 they are susceptible to mother to child transmission and after they become sexually active, the rate of infection increases rapidly – especially for girls (Kelly, 2000). Children aged 5-14 need to be reached at this critical stage in their lives and offer the ‘window of hope’ in stopping the spread of HIV/AIDS.

 Health Education with HIV/AIDS prevention Does Change Behavior:

There is now strong evidence from an increasing number of studies that health education HIV/AIDS prevention applied in an appropriate context, changes behavior – including behavior in sensitive and difficult areas where knowledge based health education has failed.

For example: Sexuality and HIV education –USA:

This study was implemented in 4 schools in New York City with 9th and 11th grade students (867 students), in intervention (AIDS prevention program) and control classes (no AIDS prevention program). The program focused on correcting facts about AIDS, teaching cognitive skills to appraise risk of transmission, increasing knowledge of AIDS-prevention resources, changing perceptions of risk-taking behavior, clarifying personal values, understanding external influences and teaching skills to delay intercourse and/or consistently use condoms. An evaluation carried out three months after the end of the program found that the intervention group showed the following positive behavioral outcomes when compared with the control group: decrease in intercourse with high risk partners, increase in monogamous relationships and an increase in consistent condom use. (Walter & Vaughan, 1993).

 HIV/AIDS prevention-Nigeria:

Health education programs are being implemented in many schools in Nigeria to increase levels of knowledge, influence attitudes and encourage safe sexual practices among secondary school students. A study to evaluate one such program was conducted comparing 223 students who received comprehensive sexual health education with 217 controls. Students in the intervention group received 6 weekly sessions lasting 2-6 hours, with activities including lectures, film shows, role-play stories, songs, debates, essays and a demonstration of the correct use of condoms. Following the intervention, students in the intervention group showed a greater knowledge and increased tolerance of people with AIDS compared to the control. The mean number of sexual partners also decreased in the intervention group, while the control group showed a slight increase. The program was also successful in increasing condom use (Fawole et al., 1999) Above mentioned studies shows that health education with HIV/AIDS prevention does change the behavior of students especially adolescents.

 Method for implementing Health Education with HIV/AIDS prevention:

Although there is strong evidence that HIV/AIDS prevention is effective when properly applied and supported, implementing this approach and achieving this success on a larger, countrywide scale is one of the greatest challenges to be faced.

To be effective, HIV/AIDS prevention programs must address the following areas:

•Reassure stakeholders that these messages are beneficial:

Talking and teaching about reproductive health and HIV/AIDS issues does not result in earlier initiation of sex or promiscuity. The evidence suggests that well implemented skills-based programs, conducted in an atmosphere of free discussion of all the issues, is likely to lead to young people delaying the initiation of intercourse and reducing the frequency of intercourse and number of sexual partners (Kirby et al. 1994, UNAIDS 1997a).

•Provide support to teachers: The lack of support for implementation of new programs is one of the most important factors affecting success. For most teachers both the content and methods of HIV/AIDS prevention programs are new and perhaps sensitive, and yet the approach has great potential to assist teachers both in their work and also their personal lives since HIV/AIDS is, of course, also affecting teachers. Sufficient support, training, practice and time needs to be available to teachers, in both pre- and in-service training sessions and workshops, to facilitate reflection and development of their own attitudes, and to motivate them to apply their new knowledge and skills, rather than continue with the more didactic, traditional teaching methods, which are often focused on information alone (Gatawa 1995, Gachuhi 1999). In addition, sufficient time and an appropriate place must also be given in the curriculum so that all students have access to HIV/AIDS prevention.

•Start early: As well as targeting adolescents, programs need to be targeted at children at an early age, with developmentally appropriate messages, before they leave school (Gachuhi 1999, Partnership for Child Development 1998). Because younger children are generally not sexually active, these programs will address the building blocks for healthy living and avoiding risk, rather than the very specific issues related to sexual relationships and HIV/AIDS which are progressively introduced to programs for older ages. However, the large number and diverse age range of children within primary schools is an enduring challenge, especially when addressing sensitive issues. Active and self-directed learning methods which are commonly used in education can be helpful in overcoming these classroom management issues to some extent.

•Provide a supportive environment: Schools need to have strong policies and a healthy supportive environment in terms of behavior of students towards each other, teachers and school personnel. Sexual abuse can occur in schools, with both boys and girls reporting abuse by school staff (Kinsman et al. 1999, Lowensen et al. 1996). Programs need to address this potential problem by training and supporting teachers, so that they can become role models rather than neutral or adverse figures in relation to sexual behavior.

•Respond to local needs: Many of the models for HIV/AIDS prevention have been developed in western, developed countries. The available evidence from developing countries, although more limited in scope than the studies from non-developing countries, supports skills-based health education for HIV/AIDS and reproductive health (Hubley, 2000). The main issue is that wherever programs are to be implemented they must be shaped to meet the local socio-cultural norms, values and religious beliefs, and need to include ongoing monitoring (Kirby et al 1994, UNAIDS 1999, Kinsman et al.1999).

Elements of a Health Education for HIV/AIDS prevention:

Reviews of school-based HIV/AIDS prevention programs (23 studies in the USA (Kirby et al. 1994), 37 other countries (reported in UNAIDS 1999) and 53 studies in USA, Europe and elsewhere (UNAIDS 1997a) have identified the following common characteristics of successful programs:

1.Focus on a few specific behavioral goals, (such as delaying initiation of intercourse or using protection), which requires knowledge, attitude and skill objectives.

2.Provision of basic, accurate information that is relevant to behavior change, especially the risks of unprotected intercourse and methods of avoiding unprotected intercourse. 3.Reinforcement of clear and appropriate values to strengthen individual values and group norms against unprotected sex.

4.Modeling and practice in communication and negotiation skills particularly, as well as other related “life skills”.

5.Use of Social Learning theories as a foundation for program development.

6.Addressing social influences on sexual behaviors, including the important role of media and peers.

7.Use of participatory activities (games, role playing, group discussions etc.) to achieve the objectives of personalizing information, exploring attitudes and values, and practicing skills.

8.Extensive training for teachers/implementers to allow them to master the basic information about HIV/AIDS and to practice and become confident with life skills training methods.

9.Support for reproductive health and HIV/STD prevention programs by school authorities, decision and policy makers, as well as the wider community.

10.Evaluation (e.g. of outcomes, design, implementation, sustainability, school, student and community support) so that programs can be improved and successful practices encouraged.

11.Age-appropriateness, targeting students in different age groups and developmental stages with appropriate messages that are relevant to young people. For example one goal of targeting younger students, who are not yet sexually active, might be to delay the initiation of intercourse, whereas for sexually active students the emphasis might be to reduce the number of sexual partners and use condoms.

12.Gender sensitive, for both boys and girls.

 Conclusions:

 Health Education with HIV/AIDS prevention offers an effective approach to equipping children and young people with the knowledge, attitudes and skills that they need to help them avoid risk taking behavior and adopt healthier life styles. The scope of health education means that it can be applied to a wide range of areas, especially STDs and HIV/AIDS prevention, but also including violence, substance abuse, unwanted situations such as early pregnancy and all areas where knowledge and attitudes play a critical role in promoting a healthy lifestyle for children and young people growing up in the 21st century. We can sum it in following points- •The constitutional rights of learners and educators must be protected equally.

•There should not be compulsory disclosure of HIV/AIDS status.

•No HIV positive learner or educator may be discriminated against.

 •Learners must receive education about HIV/AIDS and abstinence in the context of life- skills education as part of the integrated curriculum.

•Educational institutions should ensure that learners acquire age and context appropriate knowledge and skills to enable them to behave in ways that will protect them from infection.

•Educators need more knowledge of, and skills to deal with HIV/AIDS and should be trained to give guidance on HIV/AIDS.

Suggestions for implications for policies and programmes:

•Male and female condom promotion efforts need to recognize, identify and address gender issues including sexual and other forms of violence, that inhibit condom use.

•HIV/AIDS, peer education, and sex education programmes for adolescents that incorporate gender equality issues into their framework should be fostered. Such programmes should enable a better understanding of how norms related to masculinity and femininity may increase risky sexual behaviour, and help young people begin thinking about how to work towards equal and responsible relationships.

•Voluntary Counselling and Testing (VCT) services should take into account the risk of violence and other adverse consequences when evaluating different approaches to disclosure. For example, patients can be given the choice of counsellor-mediated disclosure if that would help minimise adverse consequences.

•Both men and women should be involved in Prevention of Mother to Child Transmission (PMtCT) programmes. Antenatal services can educate men about sexuality, fertility and HIV prevalence to raise their awareness and sense of responsibility. This would avoid reinforcing the belief that women alone are responsible for pregnancy and for HIV transmission to the infant.

•Community Home Based Care (CBBC) approaches need to include a special effort to promote the role of men as care-givers in the family and community, and to provide adequate support and guidance to enable male participation. At the very least, such programmes should acknowledge that reliance on “home care” is, at present, largely reliance on “women’s care”.

References:

1.Fawole, I.O., Asuzu, M.C., Oduntan, S.O., Brieger, W.R. (1999). A school-based AIDS education program for secondary school students in Nigeria: a review of effectiveness. Health Education Research – Theory & Practice, 14: 675-683.

 2.Gachuhi, D. (1999). The impact of HIV/AIDS on education systems in the Eastern and Southern Africa region and the response of education systems to HIV/AIDS: Life Skills Programs.

3.Gatawa, B.G. (1995). Zimbabwe: AIDS Education for schools. Case Study. UNICEF Harare Zimbabwe.

4.Hubley, J. (2000). Interventions targeted at youth aimed at influencing sexual behavior and AIDS/STDs. Leeds Health Education Database, April 2000.

5.Kelly, M.J. (2000). Standing education on its head: Aspects of schooling in a world with HIV/AIDS. Current Issues in Comparative Education. 3(1).

6.Kinsman, J., Harrison, S., Kengeya-Kayondo, J., Kanyesigye, E., Musoke, S. & Whitworth, J. (1999). Implementation of a comprehensive AIDS education program for schools in Masaka District, Uganda. AIDS CARE, 11(5): 591-601.

7.Kirby, D., Short, L., Collins, J., Rugg, D. et al. (1994). School-based programs to reduce sexual risk behaviors: a review of effectiveness. Public Health Reports, 109(3): 339-361.

8.Lowensen, R., Edwards, L. & Ndlovu-Hove, P. (1996). Reproductive health rights in Zimbabwe. Training and Research Support Centre (TARSC).

9.UNAIDS (1997a). Impact of HIV and sexual health education on the sexual behavior of young people: a review update.

10.UNAIDS (1997b). Learning and teaching about AIDS at school. UNAIDS technical update, October 1997.

11.Walter, H. & Vaughan, R. (1993). AIDS risk reduction among a multiethnic sample of urban high school students. JAMA, 270(6): 725-730.

12.WHO (1996). Preventing HIV/AIDS/STI and related discrimination: an important responsibility of health promoting schools. WHO series on school health, document six.

Uganda is one of the most beautiful bastions of the African wilderness and has everything for a global tourist or even a backpacker. From trekking opportunities in the volcanic Great Rift Valley to exploring the Gorilla hideouts deep in the mountains; from sunbathing at the isolated and magnificent beaches on the Ssese Islands that seem to be floating in Lake Victoria to being captivated by the mystic Jinja, the source point

for the great river Nile, Uganda has just about anything.

Why Volunteer In Uganda

Uganda has a wealth of natural resources but at the same time, it is also a poverty stricken country that has been through civil wars, a cannibalistic dictator and also comes under the AIDS/HIV radar. Volunteering in Uganda will not only open you mind to different cultures and a society that has existed since the early civilizations but also to the depravation that people in Africa have learnt to carry in their stride for too long.

Types Of Projects Available

As a part of volunteering in Uganda, you will get to choose the kind of project you are interested in. The different types if projects available include:

• Working with Ugandan orphanages: You will get to work with the hundreds and thousands of orphans who have either lost their parents in a war or who have been left homeless by famines. These orphaned children would probably die due to malnutrition but with a little care can grow up to be the future of the country.

• Teaching: There are different languages that you can teach in Uganda but the most prominent being English. There are projects for teaching English to elementary school children and even orphans in a small village called Niyakasiru.

• Community Development: In Uganda, there are no communities but groups of villages get together to support each other through all the strife and disasters that have struck the country in the recent past. As a part of the community development project, you can contribute a lot towards creating health awareness, take care of various problems being faced in the day-to-day life by Ugandans and work at temporary teachers in their schools, which are not even sub-standard.

• HIV/AIDS Project: Africa is believed to have the maximum number of HIV/AIDS affected people. Hence this is the first place to start. In a world where scientists are trying every method possible to develop a miracle medicine for AIDS, the only way to fight it right now is by making people aware of the consequences. As a part of the AIDS/HIV program, you will get to take care of people who are already suffering from it and also at the same time, work with community programs to offer more information on how to prevent it in the first place.

• Community Work with the tribal: There are different types of tribes in Thailand and as a volunteer in Thailand, you will get to concentrate your efforts towards helping the tribal children and women.

• Health Projects: There are several health projects that you can contribute to. The medical infrastructure in Uganda is not strong enough and you assistance in developing one can do a lot of good to the country’s future.

• Conservation Projects: There are different types of conservation projects in Uganda that vary from water conservation to Gorilla and Chimpanzee conservations. These are interesting projects and will help in keeping the African Wilderness alive

Volunteer Requirements

Age: The minimum age for volunteering in Uganda should be 16 or older.

Experience: There is no experience required for most of the programs. But if you are volunteering for specialized programs in clinical operation or in HIV/AIDS programs then you will need to have some amount of experience or certification to assist in medical treatments etc.

Application process: You will need to provide a resume to start with

All volunteer programs in Thailand are open to participants from all over the world and to individuals, families and couples.

Fee and Other details

There is a fee attached to each of the projects that you volunteer for. The fee is charged in advance and is charged for the following:

1. Housing

2. Food/meals

3. In-country training

4. Transportation within the region

5. Staff support

Conclusion

There is so much that you can contribute to in Uganda and to its people. Africa is considered to be the cradle of civilization and it’s high time everyone started looking at it as one and treating the people out there with equal respect.

Hearing Aids are quite costly equipments. You would be quit aware of this fact if you have ever visited some hearing aids selling shops. According to Medicare hearing aids information there is very small portion of the population which can afford hearing aid equipments due to their extremely high prices. Many health insurance organizations do not cover hearing aids as the prices incurred upon hearing aids are extremely high.

If someone requires affordable hearing aids some time will be needed to study it in order to have the knowledge about its certain qualities so that hearing could be accessible against affordable price. Compromise on quality for cheap rates does not look better for the important article as hearing aids especially at the time when affordable hearing aids is required of a good quality. As a principle the hearing aid must be of a good quality so that there may be no difficulty in hearing otherwise it will cause a sense of deprivation.

Your Affordable Choice

Amongst different available options, the selection of one of the affordable hearing aids is laborious task. In fact there are only some choices to have affordable hearing aids. As an example there is a digital hearing aid namely the Digi-Ear D1. This hearing aid is made of such a shape that it conveniently fits neatly into the ear canal. It comprises of a unique rotating nozzle that will accommodate both left and right ear fitting. All that you have to do is to insert the hearing aid and afterward it is adjustable by yourself. You can operate it very easily according to your requirements. It’s such operations & features make it one amongst the other affordable hearing aids.

Qualities Of affordable hearing aids:

Another of the most affordable hearing aids is the Digi-Ear GS. It has multifarious qualities. Its echo control system is factually the most superior in the hearing aid industry. It is because of echo elimination technology that comes with a multi-layer noise reduction process. It helps to reduce static and noise. It bears all digital four channels, echo suppression with toggle button, universal fit adjustable on and off volume control having a 312 battery and a removal string. It is result-oriented and durable device with one-year warranty. These features make it superb amongst the affordable hearing aids.

This hearing aid has matchless revolving nozzle in order to fit it into either of ears by rotating it. It is provided with three size soft-tip alternatives, which facilitate you to opt for the soft-tip with the best adjustment and slide it onto the nozzle. This is provided for adjustment of hearing aid comfortably. Furthermore the latest digital wide dynamic range compression allows quick processing of the sounds that enter the ear culminating into instant and precise relay to the ear drum. It is the latest device than other affordable hearing aids.

Furthermore the sensitive feedback reduction feature greatly reduces feedback and whistle in the device that is caused by a loose hearing aid. Thus one can understand the conversation more easily. In addition, the quiet speech amplifier picks up the quietest whisper without accompanying extraneous noise. It results in clear listening. For more info see http://www.firsthearingaids.com/hearingloss/signs_of_hearing_loss.html on signs of hearing.

Selection Of Affordable Hearing Aids:

Among these affordable hearing aids, there are many others available on market that you can select; yet those mentioned therein are literally the best as per their price and quality. As such you definitely desire to give priority to these top choices when you are looking for inexpensive affordable hearing aids.