In a Nutshell: What I Learned in the AIDS Course

A/N: Below is my final essay for my online AIDS Course at Coursera. I completed the said course with distinction (hurrah!), with a final grade that I find to be acceptable. What is most important for me, though, are the things I've learned about HIV/AIDS. The final essay was to be a collection of 5 statements about HIV/AIDS that I found to be significant. Here they are. 

The weeks I spent on the AIDS Course at Coursera has strengthened my resolve as a health care practitioner and an advocate for reproductive health. Throughout the course, I have tried to create parallelisms between the international context of the disease, and the local situation in the Philippines, which still has an escalating number of HIV infection[i]. Thus some statements that I have chosen are in line with the Philippine context.

I have chosen five statements that summarize the most important things I have learned in relation to its significance to my work.

1.    “We live in a society that chooses not to talk about sex, let alone educate the kids (about) what engaging in sex entails, good and bad…I believe that young people are fully aware that HIV exists. I also believe they know nothing about it at all.” – Angelo Esperanzate, AIDS Society of the Philippines[ii]

This sums up the status of the Philippine society’s outlook on HIV/AIDS, exposing the vulnerability of the generally sexually-active but sexuality-ignorant youth.  This statement is important to me because of my belief that resolving issues on reproductive health, which includes HIV/AIDS, are a play of biological and societal factors. The biological factors that make HIV/AIDS such a devastating disease are continuously being addressed – the pathogenesis is being explored, vaccines are in development, biomedical preventions are being studied, utilized, and improved. However, I believe that HIV/AIDS will never be eradicated if primary levels of protection are not strongly instituted: preventing people from ever contacting AIDS through lessening risk-taking behaviors, especially unsafe sexual intercourse. This can be done through proper counseling and education, which will be very difficult, if not impossible, in a culture where the norm of keeping mum about all things sexual. The twisted culture of conservatism is rendering people ignorant about protecting themselves from the disease.

2.    “Because it inserts its genetic material into the chromosome, HIV cannot be eradicated without killing every infected cell.” - Eric Hunter, MD, Professor of Microbiology & Immunology, Co-Director, Emory CFAR[iii]

Image from aids.gov

I am one who appreciates the fantastically terrible processes of how diseases wreck havoc in the body, which is why this is striking to me.  As explained by Dr. Hunter in his lecture, HIV primarily targets CD4 T-helper cells (which Dr. Hagen calls “generals” and “conductors” of the immune system[iv]), thus rendering the immune system incapable of efficiently addressing other threats to healthⁱⁱ. This statement is a summary of how HIV/AIDS is a double-edge sword – allowing the disease to escalate means CD4 cells will die, but to achieve functional cure for HIV (or suppress viral load), infected CD4 cells would still have to be eradicated.

This statement is significant to me because it is a challenge to those who wish to eliminate the epidemic: HIV is a terribly intelligent disease – your move, science.

And the answer is “bring it on”.

3.    “HPTN 052 is a game changer.” – Michael Sidibe, Executive director, UNAIDS.[v]

Dr. del Rio’s lecture about Treatment as Prevention (TasP) presented the HPTN 052 study, which unearthed wonderful results in terms of biomedical HIV prevention: total relative reduction of HIV transmission through TasP is 96%.^iV The result yielded is incredible. This statement is significant because it reinforces one of the most important thing that I have learned in the AIDS course – that a Person Living with HIV (PLHIV) need not be feared, that with proper treatment, these people can line relatively normal lives and the chances of passing the disease to others is greatly diminished.  

It is a statement that, in my opinion, brings hope to PLHIV and those who advocate with and for them.

For those interested to read up on the study, look it up here.

4. “The Body of Christ has AIDS.” – Denise Ackerman, woman theologian.[vi] 

Ackerman’s statement is a bold, wonderful dare to the conservative views of some religions factions in dealing with HIV/AIDS and the discriminatory tone some religious groups took in the earlier stage of the epidemic. It is also an epitome of how religion can be a driving force for eradicating HIV/AIDS. In Dr. Blevins’s lecture, he mentioned that religion can either promote an environment for the spread of HIV or for stopping the infection in its tracks.^vi This is one of the most significant statements for me because it is generally applicable to my country.

The Philippines the only Catholic nation in Southeast Asia, and the new cases of HIV infection are rising. Despite the clause for the separation of Church and State[vii], the Roman Catholic Church still has indirect power in terms of policy-making and has exercised this power to prevent the Legislative from passing bills that would provide comprehensive reproductive and sexual health education and services (although after years of battle the Reproductive Health Law was passed last year). Religion stands against informing the public regarding safer sex practices beyond abstinence. This is one of the reasons seen by reproductive health advocates for the increasing HIV infections.

This statement is the banner of any activist-advocate wishing to turn the tides and utilize religion to fight against the HIV epidemic.

5.    “Live HIV Neutral”. – The Stigma Project[viii]

Image from The Stigma Project

The final statement is from the Facebook page of The Stigma Project, and it reminds me of something I’ve heard a long time ago: that we are all living with HIV, regardless of our sero-status. HIV is a societal disease as much as it is a biological one. This short-but-powerful statement is important because of its double meaning: that PLHIV can live as normal as possible (thus “neutral”) and for those with sero-negative status to let go of discrimination and see HIV/AIDS from an objective and scientific position, instead of a condemning one (again, being “neutral”)

To conclude, AIDS is a muti-faceted disease which affects the society as much as it affects society. Information is vital to combating this epidemic and one must look at the information presented with objective eyes an open mind and an understanding heart.

---

[i] http://www.doh.gov.ph/disease-surveillance.html

[ii] http://www.philstar.com/young-star/2013/04/19/932180/hiv-addressing-elephant-room

[iii] Hunter-HIV Pathogenesis video lecture

[iv] Hagen-Immunilogy 101 video lecture

[v] Del Rio – Part 1: TasP video lecture

[vi] Blevins – Part 3: Social History of Religion’s Influence video lecture

[vii] http://www.chanrobles.com/article2.htm#.UYC8CaKsi0M

[viii] https://www.facebook.com/TheStigmaProject

A Series of (Open) Codswallop-y Letters

ONE

Dear Leaders and Politicians,

Hi! First of all, I'd like to congratulate you for winning that nation-wide popularity contest we call the Philippine elections. I'm pretty sure you're glad that the millions of pesos you spent on posters with photoshopped faces, TV ads in between telenovelas, and "witty" campaign jingles were not put to waste. And of course, the famous last names were helpful. VP Binay must be happy that his experiment of throwing Nancy Binay into the dirty, dirty world of politics yielded positive results. I can almost see the guy grinning in my head. 

Awesome. Great. Yeah - now the hard part. Oh, you didn't know that the election is just the start? That's bad for you then, because the number of years that you'll spend in power will be spent under the watchful eye of the still-educated, still-wise percentage of the Filipino people (although, given the results of the 2013 Circus/Popularity Game, I'm beginning to doubt if this is actually a significant percentage.)

Off to my message: I believe I already gave you my congratulations. I hope that as one of the people who pay for your salary that you'll allow me to advise you on some things that I deem to be important. Here are a few of them: 

1. The guy up there (not God, silly, are you even sure that the one you're worshiping has the biological determinant of being a guy?) said that we, the Filipino people - those who earn minimum wage, those who eat from garbage cans, go to public schools, sweat in overcrowded  and congested public vehicles, those who live on top of smelly rivers, in dumps, in "socialized housing" projects that are probably going to collapse in a few years -, are your bosses. So that means we can fire you. 

2. Being a leader means you must have the humility and the patience to be one with your members. Given that some members are stubborn and stupid and you are only human, and stupidity is very annoying - you are still a leader, trusted by the people to be more understanding and more capable of sacrificing in terms of education even the most idiot members of your group. Hindi po nakakababa ang pakikipag-usap sa miyembro. Wag kang ma-pride, at tandaan mo na sa miyembro ka parin maypananagutan. Elected representatives, I do hope you speak to the community which you represent before taking a stand on the issue. Your job is to represent YOUR PEOPLE, not anything else. 

3. One word, dears: delikadesa. Mahiya rin paminsan-minsan. You have been given the immense responsibility and the privilege of serving the Filipino people. It's a rare and terrible gift. Don't screw it up. Remember that if you do, apologizing would not be enough. Many may forget whatever stupidity you've committed while in power, but many will also remember.

That's all I can think of for now. I guess, for conclusions, all I can say is this: have fun, good luck, and we'll be watching so don't mess it up too badly. 

Sincerely

Janina Santos

Your Supervisor/Critic/Tax-Paying Citizen of the Republic of the Philippines

TWO 

Dear Ms. Aiai Delas Alas,

I'm usually not into showbiz. I mean, I rarely ever watch TV. My mom was watching this showbiz news show last Sunday though, and I saw you crying your eyes out for your shattered fairy tales.

I have three things to say to you: 

1. Do yourself a favor and ipa-VAW-C mo na yang gago mong soon-to-be ex;

2. It wasn't your fault. You only loved and wished to be loved in return. We do stupid things when we're in love, but at the end of the day, you are a victim;

3. If anybody says otherwise, flip 'em the middle finger. I'll join you. 

Best regards,

Janina Santos

Vagina Warrior/TV-Deprived Chick

THREE

Dear Ex-Students,

That teacher who's annoying and pushy and repetitive and infuriating and demanding, the one who would rather give you individual feedback that would probably make you melt in embarrassment than leaving you alone to wallow in your ignorance, is making extra effort to help you learn. He or she doesn't have too do that. He/She can deliver the lesson, then sit down and Facebook while you do hundreds of practice tests, drills, and activities. Then he/she can just give you an answer key so you'll check your own answers and leave you despite the fact that you still don't understand why the answer is "A" when ou're quite sure it's "onomatopoeia".  Basically, he or she still gets paid regardless of whether you pass the subject of not. 

Don't be a prat. Seriously. Since you do not exude Channel Number 5 from your very pores and you are probably far from being a guru of peace, unity, and love, listen to criticisms and learn from it. You might pick up a thing or two. 

If you understand this already, then do people a favor and spread the word. 

Oh, and here's a little something for you, by the way: http://scribblesontheclipboard.blogspot.com/

That's my English blog. I'll be posting stuff there once in a while. 

Best of luck,

Your Ex-T/New Drinking Buddy(?)/Possible Friend

FOUR

Photo from salon.com

Mr. Mike Jeffries

Chief Executive Officer

Abercrombie and Fitch

Dear Mr. Jeffries:

Good day. Although I am not a patron of your brand, I am writing this letter to inquire about a concept that your marketing strategy that I find confusing. 

If A&F is indeed only reserved for good-looking, attractive, and cool people as deemed by a social generalist and stereotypical man such as yourself, that you dislike these "uncool" individuals in your stores, does this mean you get beaten by a broom whenever you enter a store in an attempt to purchase an A&F sweatshirt?

Because, you see, by your socially general and stereotypical definition of who is good-looking, attractive, and cool, well, you're just not one of them.

Best regards,

Curvy and Voluptuous Lady Who's Probably an XL 

                                             FIVE

Dear Self,

Remember the beauty of life and love and don't lose sight of a present that is bittersweet and a future that is bright with possibilities. 

Love,

You

In Pursuit of Fairy Tales, etc.

Photo by Drei dela Cruz. And yes, that picture is my entry.

The International Labour Organization - Decent Work Across Boarders (ILO-DWAB) Photo Competition, in partnership with the Alliance of Young Nurse Leaders and Advocates International, was held last year. I joined this contest as last-minute entry and was rather surprised when I was selected as part of the Top 21. I did not win, but seeing as it is an international competition and my entry was a grab-'em-and-shoot-'em kind of picture, I was still pretty happy about the results. Along with fellow bloggers Drei dela Cruz and Erick Bernardo, we visited RCBC Yuchengco Tower in Makati last Tuesday to check out our photos.

My enrollment to the Nursing course was prompted by my desire to migrate abroad, either to the land of sexy English accents and Harry Potter so I could imbibe the culture and write something magical like J.K. Rowling did, or to the United States where, after a couple of years of being a nurse, I can work my way to med school and eventually follow in the foodsteps on one of my ultimate girl crushes, forensic pathologist. We grew up in a society that is apparently proud of our Filipino heritage, but would rather work outside the country because everything beyond the Philippines is better. That's rather ironic, although understandable. The money you will earn in abroad, the benefits, and the simple fact that you are on an adventure (new place, new culture) are things that you may not necessarily earn here, unless you are a business mogul or Henry Sy's relative. 

This ideology is the inspiration for my photo: the pursuit of better life - of fairy tales for our children - climaxes outside the borders of our country.

My entry to the DWAB-ILO Photo Contest

Like I said, this ideology is both understandable and ironic. Having had the experience of being a lecturer for an English exam that is required so one can work, study, or migrate in an English-speaking country, I know a thing or two about going abroad, about how difficult it is to pursue fairy tales. We either forget or fail to realize that having achieved the fairy tale is not all fun and games and sparkle. 

The journey to achieving a better life abroad is difficult, so here is a little something for everyone who needs a bit of help on one aspect of their application - English proficiency exam. Scribbles on the Clipboard is a non-profit instructional blog. I'll be posting tidbits on Grammar, tips on writing well and achieving confidence in speaking, and other stuff in between. I will miss teaching, and I guess you can say that this is my way to reconnect with students. This is dedicated to all my students as well, those who inspired me to strive to be a better instructor. 

For more information on the ILO-DWAB Competition as well as the winners, please check out AYNLA's website.

Dibuho 2013: Of Birthday Wishes and Giveaways

Dear Readers,

I am sorry. The free IELTS review giveaway is 

no longer available. I have no words to explain

what happened. None right now. Thanks so 

much to those who gave their wonderful 

responses. If it's worth anything, they are

beautiful, your ideas.

Love, 

Janina