HIV/AIDS Cyprus General Information .:. HIV/AIDS awareness in Cyprus

HIV/AIDS Cyprus General Information

Learning more about HIV, AIDS, and sexual health services can help us to stay in good health

Introduction

PART ONE

Facts about HIV

Sexual practices; the way we have sex and HIV

Testing for HIV

Confidentiality

PART TWO

Finding out that you are HIV positive

Treatments for HIV

Taking care about your health

Immigration, welfare and benefit problems

DIFFICULT TERMS

WHERE ELSE TO GET HELP AND SUPPORT

OTHER USEFUL INFORMATION

Introduction

Learningmore about HIV, AIDS, and sexual health services can help us to stay ingood health. It can also help us to understand or to help other peoplewho are affected by HIV. As men, we have responsibilities towards ourgirl friends, wives, or whomever we have sex with. This is why thisbooklet has been written.

Who is this booklet for?

Îœen who want to understand how they can protect themselves and others from HIV.
Men who are HIV positive and want to know how to maintain their health and well-being.
Professionals supporting or working with men affected by HIV.

Your comments are always welcome.

PART ONE

FACTS ABOUT HIV AND AIDS

What is HIV?

HIVstands for human immunodeficiency virus. It is a tiny germ, whichattacks part of the bodyâ€™s immune system. The immune system is ournatural defense against diseases. When someone is infected with HIV,the person may feel well for some time, up to several years with nosymptoms. However, in most cases, the immune system gets weaker andweaker. After some time, someone with HIV can go on to have AIDS.

What is AIDS?

AIDSstands for Acquired Immune Deficiency Syndrome. Doctors also call itlate stage or advanced HIV infection. At this stage, the immune systemis so weak, and the person can get serious illnesses that can kill.Î’ecause of the new medicines, fewer people get AIDS.

How can someone get HIV?

Î‘roundthe world, most people who got HIV were infected through unprotectedsex. For someone to get HIV, a sufficient amount of HIV needs to entertheir bloodstream.

HIV can live in body fluids like:

Blood
Sperm
Vaginal fluids
Breast milk

These fluids can be exchanged

During unprotected sex
When an HIV positive woman breastfeeds a baby
When needles are exchanged between people to inject drugs

Examples:

A person who doesnâ€™t have HIV can get it if he (or she) doesnâ€™t use a condom or Femidom during sex.

Aman who has HIV (whether he knows it or not) can pass it on to his wifeor partner if they donâ€™t use condoms or Femidoms during sex.

Main routes of HIV transmission

Mostpeople who have HIV have been infected through sex without protectionbetween an HIV positive person and an HIV negative person.

There are other ways of getting HIV, but they are less common:

Exchanging needles to inject drugs
Blood transfusions
From an HIV positive mother to her baby

Can you tell if someone has HIV?

Peoplecan have HIV and remain well with no symptoms for months and evenyears. Unless they have an HIV test, they cannot know whether they haveit or not.Also you should not expect that someone with HIV would tellyou about it even if you know each other very well.

SEXUAL PRACTICES:THE WAY WE HAVE SEX AND HIV

People have sex for pleasure or to have children.

Someways of having sex can put us, or the person we are having sex with, atrisk of getting HIV or other sexually transmitted diseases.

What is the best way to avoid HIV?

Youmay want to protect yourself, but remember: if you donâ€™t check your ownhealth, you cannot assume that you are free from STIs or HIV.

Fewpeople are able to abstain from sex for a long time. So, if you want toreduce the risk of getting HIV or passing it on, there are many thingsyou can do:

You can make good decisions about avoiding HIV once you are sure about yourself; whether you have HIV or not.
If you have a wife, a girlfriend, or any other person you have sex with, donâ€™t assume that they have HIV or an STI.
Try as much as you can to discuss sex and sexual health with your partner.
Donâ€™t make judgments. Remember everyone who has sex without protection is at risk of getting HIV or STIs.
Ifyour partner brings up the subject of sex, there is nothing wrong withthat. Take it as an opportunity to discuss your sexual health.
As a couple, you can decide to practice safer sex.

If you and your sexual partner are HIV negative, being faithful to each other helps reduce chances of getting HIV.

What does safer sex involve?

You can continue to enjoy sex in many ways, as long as you remember:

Usingcondoms or Femidoms every time you have sex with penetration is theonly way to reduce the risk of getting or passing on HIV.
Having many sexual partners puts everyone in the relationship at risk

Sex with penetration is not the only way to enjoy sex. Many people also enjoy safer practices like:

Oral sex (sucking or licking otherâ€™s sexual organs)
Masturbation including mutual masturbation (so long as you donâ€™t exchange each otherâ€™s body fluids).

It is a good thing to check your sexual health checks at least every 6 months.

I have been with my wife for many years. We have never used condoms; why should we start using condoms?

Evenif you love and trust your wife, it is still difficult to be sure thatboth of you are clear from HIV and other STIs. The only way to be surethat one of you has HIV or not is to take the test. You may find itdifficult to bring up HIV with your wife in a discussion. Healthadvisors in sexual health or GUM clinics can help you to do it.

USING CONDOMS

Usingcondoms is the best way to protect yourself and others when you arehaving penetrative sex. Condoms can stop HIV but also other sexuallytransmitted diseases. It is important that you know how to use condomsproperly:

Ensure that the condom or Femidom you are using isof good quality; check for the expiry date or the CE. These are thesigns of good quality to look for on the condom pack:
Check that the condom fits well during sex.
Ifyou are not comfortable, use some water based lubricant like KY jelly.You can use the jelly inside the condom or outside. Donâ€™t use too muchlubricant; it can make the condom slip off.
Donâ€™t use Vaseline or body cream; they can make the condom become weak and break.

Where can I find condoms?

Condoms are available free of charge from:

Gregorios Clinic
Other HIV and AIDS organizations
The Cyprus Family Planning Association

You can also buy them from kiosks, chemists and supermarkets.

You can find water-based lubricants in most chemists and supermarkets.

TESTING FOR HIV

What is an HIV test?

Todo the test, doctors will take a small amount of your blood. The HIVtest does not look for the virus itself, it looks for antibodies.Antibodies are chemicals, which appear in the blood after HIV hasentered the body. If HIV antibodies are found in the blood, the personis said to be HIV positive.

If antibodies are not found, theperson is said to be HIV negative. However, if someone gets HIV,antibodies might not show up in the blood for up to three months. It iscalled the â€œwindow period.â€ This is why, even if you are HIV negative,you may be asked to take another test at least three months later to besure that you are truly HIV negative.

What is the advantage of taking an HIV test?

Taking an HIV test helps you to know of your status. If you know whether you have HIV or not, it helps you to

Decide how to take care of your health from now on.
Think about how to protect yourself but also your wife, your girl friends, or anyone you have sex with.
Decide about having children (or more children).If you find that you are HIV positive, you can get help to stay in good health:
There are now treatments that can help you live longer in good health. These treatments work better if you know about HIV early.
You can learn to make more efforts to live a healthy lifestyle.

Why should I have an HIV test?

HIVpasses on from person to person. This means that if we want to protectour wives, girlfriends, or our children, we can do something about it.If you are sure that you donâ€™t have HIV, you can decide to protectyourself from getting it. People who are found HIV positive maybenefit from new medicines. These medicines may work better if you knowyou are HIV positive early enough.

Antenatal testing

Allpregnant women must be offered an HIV test. If your wife or girlfriendis pregnant, it is possible that she may agree to take the test. Thisis an opportunity for you to ask her about the test and how it happensat the clinic. By doing so, you will be able to support her during thetest. It is also a chance to take the test yourself. Your wifeâ€™s resultdoes not tell much about you. You and your wife can have two verydifferent results.

Where can I go for an HIV test?

Thebest place to go for a test is a sexual health clinic; or a GeneralHospital. The test is confidential and anonymous. This means that:

You donâ€™t have to give your real name.
You will be given a number, which will be your identification.
Your results will not be given to anybody without your agreement.
You do not need to be referred by a GP or anyone.

The HIV test in GUM clinics is entirely confidential. This means that:
You do not need to give your real name; you may be given a number instead.
No one else apart from some staff at the clinic will know your HIV test result.
The staff at the clinic cannot give your HIV test result to anyone without your consent.

What happens in GUM clinics?

Ifyou decide to go to a GUM clinic, you may have to book an appointment.At the clinic, the staff will ask you some questions about your addressand age. They may ask for your name, but you donâ€™t have to give a realname.You will be asked to see a health adviser. They can help youdecide about the HIV test, and other tests that you may want to take.

Before the HIV test, you will be offered to see a health adviser for pre testcounseling. The adviser will ask you some questions about yourlifestyle. You can ask any questions you want about the test. You canalso ask all the questions you want to. After the counseling, if youdonâ€™t feel ready to take the test, you do not have to do it.
You will also have post testcounseling with the adviser after you have taken the test. Whether youget tested positive or negative, the adviser will give you informationabout how to stay healthy.
The test involves taking a small amount of your blood.

HIV testing facts:

HIV tests are very reliable medical tests.
At HIV clinics, testing is free and anonymous for everyone.
In many clinics you can have the test and get results on the same day.

You may be offered to get checked for other sexually transmitted diseases.

*Gregorios is the only clinic that is specialized in HIV/AIDS matters in Cyprus.

CONFIDENTIALITY

â€œI am not sure about going to a GUM clinic. If someone sees me there, they will think I have HIV.â€

Youshould not worry about that; people go to GUM clinics for many reasonsnot just HIV. You cannot assume anything about other people you willsee in the clinic.

How can I be sure that no one will know about my results?

If you want to be sure about confidentiality, have your test in a sexual health or a GUM clinic.

The staff at the clinic is professionals. By law they have to keep strict confidentiality rules.

In most clinics, your file will be kept safely in a computer and few people will have the password.

Your name will be replaced by a number, so even the people who have your password would not know your name.

You donâ€™t even have to give your real name, but make sure you always remember it.

Ifyou feel that confidentiality was broken and you wish to make acomplaint, you can get support from many volunteer organizations inCyprus.

PART TWO

FINDING OUT THAT YOU ARE HIV POSITIVE

â€œI was diagnosed with HIV after my girl friend died of pneumonia. I never thought about it before. It was devastating.â€

Men who found out that they were HIV positive in Cyprus had to go through difficult times:

Some found out after being admitted themselves in a hospital for an AIDS related illness.
Some found out because their wife or girlfriend fell ill.
Some found out when their baby fell ill.
Others found out when they felt at risk and wanted to be sure by going for a voluntary HIV test.

Whichever way you find out about HIV, the best thing to do is to get as much information as you can about:

How and where to get help
How to stay in good health

How do I deal with an HIV positive result?

Soonafter you have an HIV positive result, health advisers are available toanswer some of your questions. They can give you information that canhelp you get back to a normal life.

Most HIV positivepeople have gone through the hard time of finding out they werepositive. However, with time and support most people find a way ofdealing with it.

Health checks and monitoring

Oncedoctors have found out about your HIV, you will be referred to aspecialist doctor. You will be asked to do more tests and examinations.There are two important tests to know:

The CD4 count; it helps to know how your body is coping.

The viral load; it shows how much virus there is in your blood.

Youwill be given appointments to come to the clinic every three months ormore often. It is important not to miss your appointments. If you donâ€™tfeel confident about going alone to the clinic, say so to a healthadviser or call a volunteer organization. You may get help with anadvocate or translator.

Getting support from health professionals

Withinthe hospitals and clinics, you can get help from a lot of the staff.These can be doctors, nurses, social workers, counselors, or healthadvisers. They may not have a lot of time to spend with you.

Makesure that every time you have an appointment with a healthprofessional, you ask all the questions that you need. If you have anyhealth problem, your doctor will be able to advise you or refer you toanother specialist. It may be a good idea to write them down.

Ifyou donâ€™t feel confident on your own, you can go to your appointmentswith an advocacy worker or a translator. Talk to your health advisorabout it.

Getting support and learning from people like you

Learning from people who have gone through the same experiences as you can be a good thing. You can do this by:

Attending support groups of HIV positive people.
Readingthe HIV press; many newsletters and magazines are available. You canget some at Gregorios clinic, Family Planning Association and othervolunteer organizations.
Phoning help lines and information lines.

Getting support from HIV and AIDS organizations

There are many organizations. You can make your choice depending on your needs.

Who to tell?

Thiswill probably be one of the most important questions you will have toask yourself when you are diagnosed with HIV. Deciding whom to tell isyour own choice. Many people are still ignorant about HIV and somepeople may reject you or discriminate against you because of HIV..

TREATMENTS FOR HIV

Thereare now new medicines that have helped people with HIV to live longerand better. These medicines can reduce the amount of HIV in your blood.They can also help to maintain or improve your immune system. Theycannot cure HIV.

Combination therapy

If youare diagnosed with HIV, doctors will ask you to do more tests to seehow the virus is damaging your immune system. Once the test results areall out, doctors may offer you to start treatment. They may also offeryou to wait until you are ready to start or until your immune systemgets damaged by HIV.

What you shouldknow about HIV treatments

They cannot cure HIV.
They can help HIV positive peopleto live longer in good health.
They have to be used in combinationand they need to be taken every day.
Once you start combination therapy,you may have to take it for the rest of your life.
Anti-HIV drugs can have sideeffects.

Forthe treatment to work, doctors have to use several drugs together. Thisis called combination therapy. There are many different types of drugsand every year they are getting better. It is important to learn aboutanti-HIV drugs and combination therapy even if you have not startedtreatments.

TAKING CARE OF YOUR HEALTH

Being HIV positive means that you will have to make more efforts and look after your health.

Living with HIV

Somepeople choose to keep themselves busy by working, sports, reading, andsocializing. Others get involved in religious activities, helping otherpeople with HIV, volunteering, or studying.

Other treatments

Becauseof HIV, you may be at risk of getting opportunistic infections or otherdiseases. Every time you see your doctor, he will be checking thatthings are alright. If you have an opportunistic infection, doctorsmight prescribe you other types of drugs like antibiotics. Sometimesdoctors will also advise you to take antibiotics to stop you fromgetting diseases like PCP or toxoplasmosis.

Nutrition

Whenyou have HIV, what you eat and how you eat becomes even moreimportant.If you are taking HIV treatments, you will have to organizethe time of your meals because of the medication. HIV drugs work betterwhen you learn how to organize your meals properly.

Can I still eat my favorite meals?

Yesof course, you can continue eating your favorite meals. The best way toget good advice is to talk to a specialist HIV dietician. You can findone by asking the health adviser at your clinic.

Safer sex

Usingcondoms is the only way to avoid other sexually transmitted diseases.It is also the best way to avoid passing on HIV to someone else.

I am HIV positive, but I want to have children. How can I get help?

Many of us want to have children or more children. But before having a baby, it might be useful to ask yourself:

Can I take the risk of infecting or re-infecting my partner?
Who will take care of my children when I will not be able to cope?
Will my wife or my family be able to cope?

Being HIV positive, using condoms is the only way to avoid re-infection through sex.

Doctorsmay soon find ways of doing sperm washing. This means that some clinicsmay be able in the future to remove HIV from the manâ€™s sperm and usethe sperm to make women pregnant. When this will be available, it meansthat HIV positive men will be able to have children without taking therisk of passing on HIV to a woman.