HIV and Kids

Sometimes, I feel like the world will be in safer hands if children will take over the leadership. Their naivety and sheer innocence will filter us from our atrocious acts and absurd beliefs. What's the good anyway of slipping into adulthood when we are only corrupted and further live a worthless life? If only we can be children forever, then may be we'll be free from evil and pain should we stuck it out with Sesame Street. I never really thought that my perception as a child will soon be invaded by corruptions, politics, discrimination, and savagery. But that doesn't stop us from facing the evolving world and its pervading war, we all have to confront our fears. This is not heaven, this is a damn so-called life. Even AIDS can be a flicker of hope.

Sweet, cuddly, and dynamic, Deidre is only 10 years old and she's inflicted with a vicious disease--AIDS. I do not pity her, because even with a seemingly serious fatal condition, she never lost her charm and innocence. Her mother left her two years ago in an orphanage in Kenya, but she still believes that one day she'll come back for her so they can be reunited as a family. But until that time, she'll settle with real love and care of the missionary nuns who adopted her.

Deidre was asked how she felt knowing that she's ill. Deidre responded with a zeal, and said that she's not ill. She may be a little weak but she can still play, see, and hear and for her, there's nothing really wrong about her. Even if she dies any minute now, she said that she'll die happy because she's got a family. For Deidre, it's not dying but simply slipping into a dream that will eventually introduce her to God. And for a second, I was in awe for a child warrior. I wondered where she got such hope and courage. While others are going wild in finding the cure, all she can hope for is another happy day, perhaps another tomorrow to be reunited with her mother, to be with her surrogate family and to be a child.

Everyday, I curse in traffic. I curse for not having it my way. For the slow drive and the vehicular tangles. I curse because I have a nagging and paranoid wife, and my boss raises hell in my 8x8 cubicle slash cell block. It was a sorry excuse for a life, I'd always say! But in one remote control spin, life changed.

I was watching football on TV but the game was so lame that I had to flip it to another channel. Until I saw this face of a sobbing mother with her 7- year old son on her lap. It's as if the mother was begging right before my eyes so I was captured for a while. Her son was perfectly healthy, innocent, sweet and a bit naughty. Nothing seems wrong except for the flowing blood in his veins. It was tested positive for the HIV virus.

Now that's a real dilemma, I heard myself sigh. The woman was cringing in pain, almost to blow out of sanity. She doesn't know how to break the news to her 7- year old boy. Just months ago, he had a successful kidney transplant, only to be contaminated with the vicious disease.

I felt my tears fall while I was trying my best to suck it up. I thought of my own boy, my own life. I was cursing God for every bump and holes, while on the other part of the world a mother pleads for the life of his boy. Just a little chance of hope and perhaps, a little mustered courage to finally break the news.

For an average man like me, I can take the toll. But how about an innocent child?! More so, a grieving mother in despair! If you'll come to think of it, it's easier to bear when an adult confesses of an HIV infliction. But a child? It's horribly inconceivable! If we, as parents, are having the difficult time in communicating to our kids, how could a mother possibly crush his son's hope and faith? There's no other way but the truth. But can you imagine how innocence is depraved with this booby trap disease?!

I've heard lots of news and discussions about HIV/AIDS. From school to television, HIV/AIDS victims have been given emphasis and supports. The first time I heard about this detrimental disease it was not really a big deal to me. I have a friend who just turned 18 just few months ago, and she went to a doctor because of her sickly condition. It was then when she realized that there's no reason to be happy in being young. As young as 18, she was infected by HIV. She did not tell me how she got the virus. At first she wanted to blame everything, all the people in her life, even God.

Until just recently, a humble and noble HIV/AIDS support group visited her family. At first she was reluctant of accepting help from a support group. She does not believe in their cause. But with their dedication and determination, she eventually found herself encouraged by their group. Although it was just a small organization, with only 20 volunteer members, they are helping every PWAs to recover and cope with the virus. There are other young people out there suffering from the same illness just like my friend. They inspire others to fight depression. And with their encouragement, my friends is now beginning to see the beautiful side of life.

As early as today, you, as a parent, must discuss the facts of HIV and AIDS with your children, specially to your teens. Although some schools provide AIDS education, it is important that you share your knowledge to your children regarding the impact of HIV and AIDS. You should not feel embarrassed if you will open this topic to your children. Literacy can save them from harm. And how are you going to start the discussion? Educate your self.

Before you plan the discussion, gather as many information as you can regarding this disease. Statistics, origin, causes, effects, and other relevant information are necessary to know. Contact an HIV/AIDS support group if possible for further information that you may want to share. Preparing yourself is the first step; and goal that your kids must know the facts about HIV and AIDS is the second. And then, if you are equipped with knowledge, initiate the conversation. Explain that they need to understand this matter, and discuss what HIV infection and AIDS
complications are. Then, explain how a person can acquire the disease. Sexual activities, needle sharing, child's birth, and blood transfusions are the common channels to transmit the virus. Let them voice their fear, and calm them through education.

In UK alone, there were about 58,300 adult people are infected by HIV in 2004. And, on the following year, about 6,727 new HIV victims were diagnosed. Unfortunately, there is a significant percentage of young individuals who have the detrimental virus of AIDS. Thus, united efforts from several support groups have been working on to educate people, particularly the young ones, about the threat of HIV/AIDS, and how it is acquired.

Aside from sex education, HIV/AIDS information is important to our young people. Hence, several health workers and educators troop to different places; like schools and universities, to reach the youngsters, and inform them about HIV/AIDS. It is important for us to educate the youngsters about HIV/AIDS to protect them from acquiring the disease, and to lessen the reproach and discrimination among people who have HIV/AIDS. HIV/AIDS education is necessary because several young adults are engaging with sexual activities; and some of them might have caught sexually transmitted diseases. In addition, drug addiction is prevalent in some cities, and sharing of contaminated needles can cause the HIV transmission.

No child chooses to be born into this world, much more that no child had ever wished to be born with HIV, that's why I believe it is but inexcusable to subject a child's young mind to severe discrimination because of having a disease that he or she barely has any idea about. Regardless if a child was born of HIV-positive parents, or was carelessly exposed to the deadly virus, we have an obligation to these young citizens.

Having HIV in the bloodstream does not make a child unentitled to certain rights as a child. The society has a significant role to protect them from oppression and allow them to live a normal life free from the scrutinizing eyes of the public. The government ought to provide them enough educational facilities and health support to these children regardless of their status in society.

But I think the the biggest help that adults can do is to extend a greater level of understanding and to keep an open mind regarding this moral issue. AIDS is not only a major issue about and must be only be dealt by grown ups, but rather children can also fall prey to this deadly virus, and much worse, to the judgment of a cruel society.

Young people, especially teenagers, should know the issues about HIV and AIDS. If information in the house is not sufficient, these matters can be discussed with a teacher in front. HIV and AIDS topics should also be discussed in schools.

One of the best preventive ways is to educate people regarding the transmission and prevention of sexually transmitted diseases, such as HIV and herpes simplex. Education should reach every one, especially those young adults who are starting to seek sexual adventures. The schools should include the AIDS education in their health-related discussion to let the students know how to prevent the case.

By the use of media, like a short film on AIDS, it will be easier to explain the extent, effects, symptoms, medicines, and prevention of HIV. Unfortunately, some conservative schools are avoiding to include the sex and STDs education in classes before they feel embarrassed about the subject. However, by making the topic more general, the feeling of embarrassment will be changed into an interesting subject to learn about. Schools can coordinate with local health agencies to promote the AIDS awareness in schools.

There's a big possibility that an HIV infected pregnant woman will transfer the virus to the unborn child. If not given sufficient attention, the virus in the mother can be transmitted to the child during the pregnancy period, labor moment, and delivery. Thus, if the pregnant woman is positive for HIV, she must consult the doctor for the right measures to secure the unborn baby.

By letting the physician to check the mother on a regular basis will help protect the condition of the child in the womb. Some advanced medicines are also effective to prevent the spread of the disease to the child. In addition, the doctor may advice the mother if she will give a breast feeding or alternative milk to the child.

The threats of HIV should not shatter the future of the child. The mother should be aware that the ill of this virus is detrimental to both of them if she won't get the proper medications before, during, and after her pregnancy period. So, if a woman is aware that she has the virus, it's better to plan the pregnancy.

You may think that because AIDS and HIV are usually passed on by means of sexual intercourse, kids are partially safe from the virus. By kids I mean adolescents, individuals who are 12-19 years old. Recent studies proved otherwise. According to experts, 50% of new HIV infections are among several young people. About 7,000 of them are infected with the deadly virus everyday. Among the 40 million AIDS infected individuals in this world today, 30% of them are in the 15-24 age groups. Most of the young people do not even know that they are infected, and few of them know that their partners are HIV positive.

Adolescents are also susceptible to HIV and AIDS because few of them really recognize the gravity of the problem that the virus brings in the world. They also have limited knowledge about HIV and AIDS, how it infects a person, its symptoms, and more importantly how they can protect themselves from it. Another factor that makes it more likely for adolescents to acquire the disease is peer pressure. In today’s world where sex is glorified, kids are becoming more sexually active. Some teens are also pressured to do drugs by their so-called friends. Sharing needles is also one of the main routes of the transmission of HIV.

It is no big news that there are a lot of children infected with the HIV or AIDS virus. They may have gotten the said disease from parents or from accidental needle pricks that were used on HIV-infected people. Whichever the case maybe, it is very important for the HIV-infected children to take some vitamins or supplements to ensure that their body doesn't grow too weak as a result of the said disease.

Children who are infected with HIV should make it point to take Zinc supplements. It is believed that the said supplements will help reduce the occurrence of pneumonia and diarrhea among the HIV-infected kids. Reports also show that Zinc has lessened the increase of HIV workload in the children.

Health officials believe that the supplementation of Zinc to people with HIV should be a task that they have to undertake. The sooner that they achieve such a goal, the better. Furthermore, the health officials say that intake of Zinc does not risk any untoward health complications for those with the said disease. I believe that the above is one great news for everyone concerned. I'd like to hope that someday, a cure for HIV and AIDS will be discovered.

People should know that not everyone is safe from the HIV/AIDS virus; anyone could be infected with this deadly disease. Sadly, the children are vulnerable to this incurable infection, that's eating up the population today. Kids could be infected through birth, if the mother is infected, the kid could most likely be a carrier. Although, there's an antivirus for pregnant HIV infected women to avoid passing on the disease to her child. Children with HIV have a bigger chance to fight the disease though, because of their stronger immune system and rapidly growing bodies, they could fight it. There are several treatments and medicine for the children to overcome this killer disease. Let us all make this information known, there's still hope for the children.