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Understanding HIV/AIDS
by Bradford McIntyre
December 2001
When it comes to
how we view HIV/AIDS, the most visible is the fear, illness, disease
and death tolls. What we don't see, are the great numbers of individuals
infected with the HIV virus, living! We don't see or hear about
the countless individuals who have been infected, who are not
using HIV drug intervention. From the beginning when HIV first
hit the gay community, no treatment, meant people went into action
and sought out alternative therapies and supplements and created
a network. A network for wellness!
Many individuals who have tested positive, and many
who have never been tested, but are sure they would test positive,
have never taken HIV/AIDS drugs. Taking responsibility for their
life and health has been overwhelmingly effective. Out of a probable
18 years living with the HIV virus in my body, I have gone without
drug treatments for 13 of those years. But we don't see or hear
this side! We also miss seeing and hearing about individuals engaged
in drug treatments, who go off their medications for months and
even years.
Recognizing the ability of the body to heal, promoted
many to choose to combat HIV in a non-medical direction. Often
times, people were effective in preventing illness and disease
for years, before drug intervention was ever necessary. Time allowed,
because being infected with HIV does not mean instant illness,
instant death! Others have gone on living, never having any sign
of HIV/AIDS related opportunistic infections, illness or disease.
Some, although they test positive, there has never been any virus
replicated in their body. Equally so, those who are on drug treatments,
have learned to address the importance of diet, exercise, alternative
therapies and supplements, mind, body, spirit. Living life and
living years, 20 years for many, with more to come!
So much fear has been created around HIV infection
and AIDS. The camouflage uniforms worn in the army, disguise and
hide, so not to draw attention, able to blend in. The fear associated
with HIV/AIDS has kept us in the dark, many fear loosing their
family, friends, home and job, causing people to hide the fact
they have been infected with the HIV virus. So no one can see,
hear, or know the truths of those living with HIV and AIDS. Most
often when individuals die from HIV related illness or AIDS, the
funeral announcements rarely say HIV/AIDS was the cause, but use
cancer, heart disease or any other camouflage. How can we tell
the real number of HIV related deaths, how can the public know,
without the truth? In the dark because the whole picture is not
being told. Individuals dealing with HIV and all those around
them who are affected but not infected, they know these truths!
Science, pharmaceutical companies, the medical profession
and government, have all but ignored much of what many people
living with HIV/AIDS have to say, which is a major contribution
in the understanding of this virus. Science and the medical profession
provide HIV/AIDS information to the media. The media takes this
information and in so doing, does it without a real balance of
understanding. Unfortunately the fear has undermined our understanding.
We see people dying, and certainly in many parts of the world
there is malnutrition, lack of medical attention and affordable
pharmaceutical resources, causing countless deaths. We see the
fear associated with sex and the need for safe sex practices!
We hear about the deaths, we hear about drug cocktails, medications
being approved, we hear about the resistance to drugs, and we
visually, through the media, see those sick with wasting syndrome,
PCP pneumonia, kaposi's sarcoma , or crippled by neuropathy. We
see people taking a handful of pills.
What is alarming about this situation is the medical
profession holds the HIV virus responsible for any and all illness
when a patient is diagnosed infected with HIV, using the excuse
that a condition is HIV related. It is because of this rampant
over diagnosis that little or no search is undertaken for what
is causing the health problem. Many have died, many suffered greatly
due to misdiagnosis or no diagnosis. Other diseases occur, and
with a condition in progress or out of control and very little
attention given it, this allows for many suffering and dying.
Not from HIV, but from an invasion of bacteria, fungi, viruses
and cancers, unaware to those not looking.
We don't see individuals living a happy and full
life, whether it be with or without drug treatments. And we don't
see it because the fear has people afraid to talk about HIV/AIDS
or disclose they have been infected. So we don't have people coming
forward to tell their side of HIV/AIDS. How are we going to get
people to come forward when the stigma attached to HIV/AIDS has
created so much fear. People are hiding their HIV infection! This
is likened to the early days of cancer, hiding the fact, only
whispering the C word! Everyone who develops cancer does not die,
it makes no sense to believe everyone who is infected with HIV
will get sick or die either! We don't see those who get sick but
benefit from the drugs and have their health restored, many returning
to the work force. We don't see or hear about individuals who
test positive for HIV or have AIDS, in relationships, falling
in love. We don't see the many relationships where one partner
is infected and one is not, and the partner who is negative, is
not infected.
Here in Canada and the United States we can see
the positive affects of nutrition, proper health, and availability
of HIV/AIDS drug treatments. But, we also hear some voices of
individuals, groups/organizations, scientist's and doctor's discounting
the existence of the HIV virus. I believe this is mainly due to
the fact that many individuals who were diagnosed HIV positive,
so far, have not gone on to develop HIV/AIDS complications, or
will never develop AIDS. The Human Immunodeficiency Virus is real!
I pray the day does not come when these individuals find themselves
sick due to HIV infection. I was fortunate to have 13 relatively
healthy years, without developing any opportunistic infections
or disease. Before any sign there was a problem showed up, there
were times when I doubted HIV was responsible for causing illness
and disease.
There has been much said and written about the drug
AZT, and we do know that many deaths were caused by the toxicity
of AZT. On the other hand, everyone's body is different, so it
is true that many responded well to AZT. AZT is still being used
today, only in lower, safer dosages. In 1990, after five years
of being constantly told by doctor's that I needed to be on drug
treatment or develop progression to disease, I agreed to go on
AZT. In my body, the side effects and toxicity of AZT were life
threatening and the drug regime was stopped. Having no health
problems, other than having been infected with the HIV, was proven
to be true. No health problems related to HIV before this treatment
and none to follow for another 8 years after. In 1998 I developed
PCP pneumonia and since have been taking a drug cocktail. This
year, I have been free of any trace of the HIV virus, through
viral load testing. With not one viral particle to be found, it
is obvious that we are moving forward in our developing effective
drug treatments. However, we must not, we cannot, discount the
ability of individuals to have a positive impact and create wellness,
using every available means they have to combat the HIV virus.
The public needs to understand HIV and let go of
the fear, each person taking part in a global prevention strategy.
These days pharmaceutical resistance is evident, with HIV, not
only is a person infected with a strain or possible multiple strains,
but along with it, comes the possibility of resistance to all
the drugs the infected individual has taken. We don't know how
each person will react to HIV infection. We need to put money
back into wellness! We must not wane from our efforts in safe
sex education, prevention, and research. Never was it more important
to keep up our efforts, creating less toxic and affordable drugs,
and providing proper health care including alternative therapies
and supplements.
With proper awareness and education, we can go about
living our lives responsibly, " showing up for life",
without fear. Not afraid of talking about HIV/AIDS or conversations
about safe sex. Letting go of the fear, we can all talk to our
family and friends and co-workers we discuss our personal lives
with. Our employer can know health related information. And, if
need be, we can ask for help and receive help! We can also eliminate
false perceptions and judgments due to shear ignorance and prevent
the spread of HIV infection. There is more power in people knowing
the truth, than there ever was in the fear and hiding! A shift
in perception is nothing short of a Miracle!
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