5 Ignorant (and Sometimes Infuriating) Things People Say About HIV/AIDS

The Red Whistle is an awareness campaign for HIV.
Those who wish to learn more about the infection
should check them out.

I have to be honest. I wrote this because I saw some pretty nasty comments online about PLHIV and many of them are pretty darn ignorant. I really hate it when people blab about things they have no idea about or they haven't understood completely. I'm hoping that people are just ignorant, because if they aren't then they're just cruel. Faith in humanity, gone. 

Then again, it is the internet and we are on social media. People can say anything they want (mostly; please remember we have the Cybercrime Law now). But this doesn't mean that the ignorant and infuriating words can't be corrected and criticized, especially in my blog. This is Codswallop after all. 

So, people who blab without thinking, here's a fair warning: Anything you say can and may be used against you. 

As usual, if you dislike reading, this article isn't for you. I'm going to be putting in a LOT of references that nerds like me love to nibble on. Links galore! 

1. "Gays caused AIDS."

No. HIV causes AIDS. It is a virus that attacks the immune system, causing it to become inefficient in eliminating infectious diseases. The end stage of the HIV infection is the Acquired Immune Deficiency Syndrome or AIDS. Regardless of how fab gays are, I think it's beyond their awesome gayness to make a virus. Unless that awesome gayness is intertwined heavily with microbiology and genetics, of course.

In the 1980s a group of homosexual males were found to be suffering from Pneumocystis carinii, an infection which occurs on immune deficient individuals. This eventually led to the discovery of HIV. Then, it was called GRID or Gay-Related Immune Deficiency. 

For a comprehensive look at the history of HIV, check out this timeline.

We're not in the 1980s anymore, ladies and gentlemen, and it has been proven that HIV, unlike members of the Idiot Society, does not discriminate. Educational status, financial standing, and race do not shield one from HIV. It can affect men, women, children, the poor, the rich, the educated, the heterosexual, the homosexual, and the homosexual. In fact in some Malaysia, the "feminization of HIV" is becoming a trend, particularly among sex workers. This means that more and more women are becoming infected. 

Unfortunately, fundies are taking advantage of the high prevalence of HIV in gay men  and Men Having Sex with Men to further homophobic and even religious agendas. Claiming that "gays cause AIDS" is not only intellectually dishonest, it is also increasing the stigma and discrimination against the MSMs and homosexual men. In fact, these key population suffer double stigma - for their sexual preferences and practice, and their sero-positive status. 

Stigma related to the infection has detrimental effects in the treatment and eradication of disease. Sero-positive individuals and key population such as MSMs and homosexuals are often branded by the conservatives of society as sexually promiscuous and practicing sexual acts that are frowned upon. To save themselves from being "marked", most people would rather forego testing for HIV and even acquiring treatment and counselling for it. This is why our progress with combating the infection is slow.

The cause of AIDS is HIV, not people's sexual identity.

For more ignorant comments, check out the feedback in this article.

2. "AIDS doesn't matter."

Maybe I just have a weird sense of humor, but I find this joke lame at best, stupid and offensive at worst:

"Anung gusto mong magkaroon, HIV o AIDS?

Ako AIDS... 

Coz AIDS doesn't matter."

Translation for my English readers:

"What do you want to have, HIV or AIDS?

I'd rather have AIDS...

Coz AIDS doesn't matter."

What's worse is that I found it posted in a Facebook wall of a NURSE. God forbid our nurses have become so insensitive as to joke about HIV/AIDS. 

Does he mean that AIDS shouldn't matter because we should treat everyone equally and not discriminate? I hope so. And that hope was shattered. Unfortunately, many people joke about the infection, stating that it doesn't matter, and truly believe that it doesn't matter. Either they haven't seen the stats, they haven't heard the news, or they live under a rock.

DOH made it clear that the problem is far from a laughing matter.

Obviously those numbers are no joke. For more information, you can check out the HIV Registry in the DOH website. Sorry I couldn't link it here. As of this posting, the website is still down. 

3. "HIV is a punishment from God."

Seriously? Some people still believe this? No wonder the Philippines is still 3rd world. 

4. "The government should require key population to get tested."

I see the wisdom in mandatory HIV test. It will (1) ensure that more people are aware of their status and (2) allow identified PLHIVs to start treatment early. But mandatory testing should be last resort, primarily because it runs over several more logical solutions to the HIV problem and people's rights to autonomy in health care.

Point 1: It is against the law. 

Let us look at Section 15 of RA8504, also known as the Philippine AIDS Prevention and Contril of 1998.

"Sec. 15. Consent as a requisite for HIV testing. — No compulsory HIV testing shall be allowed. However, the State shall encourage voluntary testing for individuals with a high risk for contracting HIV: Provided, That written informed consent must first be obtained. Such consent shall be obtained from the person concerned if he/she is of legal age or from the parents or legal guardian in the case of a minor or a mentally incapacitated individual."

Argument 2: If the DOH would like to push for mandatory HIV testing, they would have to court several legislators to lobby it in Congress. This would take time and money. I am all for the amendment of the AIDS Law (it's 2014; a law made in 1988 definitely needs an upgrade) but focus should be in more aggressive actions to prevent the disease and not assaulting discriminated population to undergo a procedure against their will. Also, more sustainable solutions to providing ARVs to People Living with HIV (PLHIVs) should be considered in the amendment.

Read more of the AIDS Law here.

Point 3: In developmental work key population can mean high risk population. In the Philippines, this means homosexuals and MSMs and perhaps sex workerd, who are most commonly infected by HIV. These people are already stigmatized and discriminated. Mandatory testing will take away consent of patients when it comes to medical procedures. It undermines the principle of  client autonomy. It is against human rights.

Mandatory HIV testing may also lead to further discrimination against PLHIV. While it is stipulated in the AIDS Law that a sero-positive individual cannot be turned away from study or employment due to his or her status, being forced to go through the test may still discriminatory repercussions on KPs and increase the stigma against them. 

Point 4: There are better ways to get someone tested, and it is not making the test mandatory. Why not put money on massive education campaigns that would make people want to take the test and not fear it?

Recently, the DOH Secretary Enrique Ona made a statement regarding mandatory HIV testing. He was shot down by several advocacy groups and was reminded by the palace of the legalities of managing HIV. There are better ways to address the increasing number of HIV/AIDS. Education that includes key population AND people who have lower risk in getting the disease should be priority one. Not only will this help eliminate the myths and misconceptions about HIV, it will also help with the stigma surrounding the infection. reduction of stigma may allow people to be more open in terms of getting themselves tested. Another essential action is ensure sustainability in treatment and counselling for PLHIV.

Picture is from the ever-awesome Internet

5. "May HIV ka? Yuck, don't touch me!"

An exaggeration, but not quite far from the truth. A lot of people who misunderstand the pathology of the infection believe that HIV is easily translated. Honestly, there is a higher probability that one will catch a common cold, for the simple reason that HIV is transmitted through blood and body fluids (semen, pre-cum, vaginal secretions, and breast milk). Unless there is a transfer of these fluids from the PLHIV to a sero-negative individual, say through unprotected sexual contact or broken skin, HIV will not be transferred so easily. 

From HIVandHepatitis.com

Learn more about the HIV transmission here.

People who are ignorant about the communicability of HIV and and who stigmatize PLHIV based from how most people are infected (unprotected sex) believe that even casual contact with PLHIV would cause them to acquire the infection. This is far from true and why this writer used the word "ignorant". You can hug a PLHIV, kiss a PLHIV, even have safe, satisfying sex with a PLHIV partner and still be HIV-free.

I'm really bad at concluding my posts, but really there's just one lesson to be learned here: HIV is a disease that, although not 100% understood (we have yet to find a cure), can be studied in many books and materials. All you have to do is go on Google and read with open eyes and an open mind. Read and understand something before opening your mouth. If you don't care about hurting people's hearts with your insensitivity and people's brain with your ignorance, at least care about your reputation. Wouldn't want to be branded as stupid, would you?

Related Article:

But I'm Your Best Friend! HIV/AIDS Talk and the UPLB Experience

In a Nutshell: What I Learned in the AIDS Course AIDS, Wits, and Thailand’s Condom King

When Health and "Vanity" Collide: How (Else) I Deal with Skin Asthma

There are three things I want to tell you about myself: I love make-up but I rarely ever put them on; I use more than 5 products on my body in an almost regular basis; and I am the laziest gal when it comes to acts of prettification (yeah, I made up the word). Seriously, I'm lazy. Despite this, I still make use of two different soaps (Oilatum and a whitening solution), three different lotions (Physiogel for the torso, Cetaphil for the limbs, and a whitening liquid lotion for the face and neck), two different face moisturizers (Cetaphil Face Moisturizer with SPF 15 and Physiogel Cream), two different toners (Celeteque Toner and Fade-Out Solution), and a special deodorant that needs to be sprayed.

So what's with 5+ skin care products I often use? Well, if you've read one of my previous post, you'll know I have skin asthma. Skin asthma is sensitivity of the skin to things that would normally won't bother other people. When exposed to triggers, the skin becomes inflamed and irritated. The skin can become dry and very itchy, and even have hives all over the body. I've had all. My asthma is pretty bad when it gets bad, which is why I have all those fancy skin care stuff. Fortunately, skin asthma attacks don't last forever. Unfortunately, it leaves scarring and skin discoloration, which explains my use of some whitening products . Please note that skin whitening products have a drying effect, which is not helpful when one is in the middle of a skin asthma attack. I only started using them when my skin was no longer inflamed, and only on certain areas. 

Prominent pores suggest very dry skin. Not only is it dry, but the skin here is also inflamed and itchy.

Although looks horrible, skin asthma is not contagious, but it has no cure. The only way to keep the skin from freaking out is maintenance of a proper skin care regimen, which would help the skin withstand allergens and irritation. I believe it's a different skin care regimen for everyone, but generally the mantra here is to stick with hypoallergenic stuff - no color, no fragrance, less chemicals... which is why Physiogel, Cetaphil, and Oilatum is great for me. 

Apart from the skin products, what else can someone like me do to deal with asthma? Here are some tips.

1. If you're in for the real medical treatments, then visit a dermatologist in the clinic/hospital, not a skin-prettification place. Last March, when I was beginning to feel the effect of the sweltering heat, I was forced by my mother and father to go to the dermatologist (thank you, parents) because I had a suspicious growth on the side of my nose. It was actually a holiday at that time, so the dermatologists I often visit at the hospital were out. I opted to go skin care clinic instead. There, I was offer facial, wart removal, and skin whitening treatments, but no answer to the scary little thing on my face except "go to a surgeon". My estimated bill? PHP5,000. The person I spoke with was a doctor as well. 

No way. I bought some whitening products for my scars and discoloration, then left. I came back for the facial, but that didn't make me very happy. 

I went back to my dermatologist in the hospital as soon as my schedule allowed me a bit of breathing room. I had the scary little thing on my face removed (which turned out to be scar tissue- thank goodness, I was thinking cancer). I paid PHP1,300 for the procedure, the doctor's fee, and the medicine. 

Two things I like about going to dermatologists in the hospital: (1) They can handle procedures like minor surgeries properly and (2) they give their clients discounts on skin care products. The medicine I got for my face, for instance, would have cost PHP200.00 in Mercury or other drugstores. I got it for PHP135.00 instead. 

2. If it's itchy, DO NOT SCRATCH IT. Oh god. It feels so good to just scratch dry skin. But really you're doing more damage than good. Scratching may provide a (very) temporary relief from the itch, but dry skin is quite prone to damage and you may cause little wounds when you scratch. This may lead to infection, scarring, and discoloration. 

What I do whenever my dry skin feels itchy is slap on moisturizer/lotion. I don't know if it's true for everybody but whenever I put on Physiogel lotion, there seems to be some kind of cooling effect and that takes care of the itchiness. If the area is itchy because of sweat, I wash it with cool water and moisturizing soap (Cetaphil, Oilatum, and Dove Extra Sensitive are good choices). 

3. Medications. If these don't work, you can use antihistamine, at the advice of your doctor, of course. Find one that works well with your lifestyle. if you're on-the-go, you may want to stick with meds that won't make you groggy. During the time that my skin asthma was bothering me so much that I couldn't sleep, I tool Alnix in the morning (which didn't make me drowsy) and Iterax at night (which killed the itch and knocked me out).

Sometimes, if the inflammation can't be controlled by skin care and antihistamines, doctors may prescribe steroids. I was on steroid for a some time during my skin asthma attack last year. It helped to reduce the inflammation but it has two major downsides: First you may be immunocompromised. The steroid acts to suppress your immune system to suppress the inflammatory effect on your skin, but this means you will also be more prone to infection. The other disadvantage to having to take steroids is it tends to make the body retain water, thus, weight increase. Steroid users would want to watch what they eat - less sodium for less water retention and more fruits and veggies to boost your immune system. 

4. Take it easy on the make up. I love make-up. I think it's an awesome way to express yourself. Also, make-up is like drawing on your face, and I love to draw. Case in point: 

The thing about make-up, though, is that it's still chemicals being placed on your skin. And chemicals may irritate your skin. When I had really dry skin on the face, I would often use foundation and concealer to hide it. BAD MOVE. The make-up made it look worse. Sometimes, it's better to just go au naturalle. My make-up regimen today consist of a matte face moisturizer, filling my brows (coz I love Cara Delevigne), and a swipe of a lightly-colored lipbalm (still for moisturization purposes). 

You'd be surprised how letting your skin breath is good for you. I've been going out with an almost naked face for a couple of months now. You'd be surprised how relatively healthy my skin looks, given that March - June is skin asthma season for me. My facial skin has never been better though.

Extra tip on make-up: If you've got sensitive skin like me, it's really important to keep your make-up products clean. Make sure you wash your brushes regularly and that your pigments are not collecting dust. You don't want to be putting anything dirty on your face.



The skin may be a superficial part of the body, but its purpose is far from superficial. It protects other parts of the body from harm such as the muscles below its layer; it prevents water lose which means the skin protects you from dehydration; and acts as a sensor for external stimuli so the body can react to it properly. Taking care of your skin is as important as eating properly, getting proper sleep, and exercising. It is also important to note that skin asthma does not only wreck havoc on the skin; it also wrecks havoc on the confidence. I know. I've been insecure about how I look like all my life (but of course, something of more importance tend to occupy my attention, such as a cool new book, or writing, or trying to earn money for a cool new book - you know, important stuff). The feeling of being not as pretty as others because my skin seems out to get me is not a good feeling. 

At the end of the day, though, what matters is not how you look but how you feel about yourself and how your body feels. The question is, "Are you healthy?"

This why whenever I get lazy when it comes to doing my skin regimen, I always tell myself that what I do may seem like vanity, but the true goal is health. Beauty is just a plus.#

PHBS Workshop:Blogging It and Owning It

#PHBSPart2

I had an AWESOME weekend. So awesome that I'm going to write more than one blogpost about it.

May 3 was the Philippine Health Bloggers Society's Blogging for Health and Wellness workshop. This event was made possible by our awesome partner, Zoomanity Group (literally the happiest place on Earth, ladies and gents), and our sponsors, GLI, Elabram Systems, Gardenia, and Victoria Court. The event was covered by FAME Publishing, Tribune Post, and Kipling Times.

I was also one of the speakers of the said event. It was quite a privilege to be speaking to my fellow health bloggers and those who want to be online influencers for health, so of course I prepared slides (I'm teacher-y like that)! Now I'm sharing them to you. 

 

In the Philippines, if you want to write about health and you only have eye for the surface, you're essentially stuck with the same topic. You and the rest of the health bloggers will be talking about the same banana.

...And so here is our question. This question was something I asked one of the awesome panels in iBlog 10 and they gave me some ideas on how I can be different. But given that I like doing my own research and contemplations, I was also able to come up with answers to my owl question. Tanong ko, sagot ko lang ang peg.

 Read more about iBlog10 here.

The thing we want to know about health is that it's not just something physical, but is all-encompassing. A person can't be called healthy if he or she is not physically problematic but has issues on adapting to society (read: psycho). This definition leads to what health in the eyes of a health blogger can be about.

Health is something that is affected by society. And blogging about health doesn't mean you just blog about diseases, it means blogging about policies, practice and people.

And so we go back to this question... and I have three suggestions you may want to consider.

Like I said: health is an all-encompassing topic and most bloggers have just scratched the surface. Why not look into what other things may affect health and write about that? Or about arts and literature present health? Or the how a passion for fashion is related to wellness and disease? You might be surprised about to find out we health bloggers have so much to write about. This is STEP 1.

Look into what other people are writing...and then write something else. Don't stick with just the surface. Dig.

We have a MEMEMEMEME culture in social media. We post pictures, experiences, and thoughts, many of which are self-centered or at least coming from the self. Social Media, after all, is an avenue to be heard. Blogging is about telling your stories. But it can also be about telling stories that are worth telling, like one of our speaker, Ma'am Inday, said. Moreover, we can show our readers stories through different eyes.

Stories of other people are sometimes better than your own. And stories and general can sometimes be better shown through someone else's perspective.

If a blogger is writing about HIV/AIDS for instance, he or she may write from the perspective of an expert and give information regarding the infection. This is how we commonly do it. You can even check out my stuff abour HIV/AIDS and see I tell stories through the perspective of an advocate who shares information. But what about the other side of the story? What about the story of the Person Living with HIV (PLHIV)? Wouldn't it be interesting to know how they survive the infection, how they deal with social stigma? Wouldn't it be wonderful to understand how these people, who are sometimes seen as having a death sentence already, are becoming purpose-filled contributors to society? Also, what is the story behind their support system - their partners, parents, and friends? So many stories could be told, if we just tell these with different voices and from different perspectives.

Whenever I read stuff made by my favorite authors, I would almost always hear their voices in my head. Psycho, I know. J.K. Rowling, for instance, is known to me by her black humor. Karl de Mesa can say "fuck", talk about flayed humans, and incest but still sound way too elegant to be crass. I don't know how he does it, but he does it. Ana Santos is always informative with a touch of sass.

This is what I learned: If you want to stand out, you should have a voice. Is your voice sarcastic or malandi? A combination of sarcastic and malandi like mine?

Whatever that voice is, it gives personality to your writing. You have to let it shine through. 

You are your blog and you are your brand. Make sure that it shows.

Finally, Nature! The Paradizoo-Residence Inn Experience

#PHBS Part 1

 

May 3 was an amazing day for the Philippine Health Bloggers Society. The Blogging for Health and Wellness workshop was  held on this day, and was organized by the group, together with Zoomanity Group. Our other sponsors included Gardenia, Victoria Court, Elabram Systems, and Global Learning Initiative (GLI).

It was also an amazing day for me. Having been stuck in the metro and overwhelmed by the huge pile of paperwork that I have to do, I really couldn't wait to get away. So, despite being part of the organizing committee and being a speaker of our blogging workshop, I still managed to a lot of fun. Who wouldn't? After all, we had great talks about blogging, in a wonderful place in Tagaytay, where we had good and healthy food, and lots of time getting back in touch with Mother Nature. The icing on the cake: Everything was FREE.

Free snacks from Paradizoo and great conversation with fellow bloggers make me happy :)

Needless to say, I was one happy kid.

I was quite happy to have spent time in Paradizoo, where we had our workshop. Despite the evil summer sun, walking around the farm was thrilling. I felt like a kid while checking out all of the animals in the farm, particularly the sheep (I want one :3) and the huge, grumpy-looking ostrich. I also got to feed love birds and pose with some pretty butterflies. The gardens were also quite nice. Paradizoo is known for its organic crops, but the flowers were also very beautiful.


 

One of the few pictures I took with my camphone. Flowers float in water in such a stunning arrangement.

According to our tour guide, we walked around 7 kilometers. Usually I'd feel tired by then, but this time it felt great, like I was healrhy and had no history of asthma. Nothing like the fresh air and the sights and sounds of nature to get you going.

After Paradizoo, we boarded our coaster and made our way to Residence Inn. We got there at around 5pm already, just in time to see the cute eagle owl by the entrance and the huge iguana next to it. I love Paradizoo for the long walks and the plant life, but Residence Inn gave me the thrill of seeing wild animals up close. We checked out the tigers and a couple of cute white lions. There were also monkeys which reminded me of days when I would happily spend afternoons being groomed by one. There was also a reptile place and I can say I saw a lot of familiar faces: albino python, reticulated python, and Burmese python. I also saw an alligator gar (albeit a mall one) and a huge silver arowana. I also pointed out to my fellow bloggers a Chilean Rose Tarantula, one of the less aggressive of its kind, and a perfect pet for newbie exotic lovers.

Unfortunately I didn't have the opportunity to touch any of these cuddly creatures. We got to Residence Inn too late.

Residence Inn also had a zipline attraction, which made my more adventurous friends happy. Likes, Drei, and Erick jumped on the ride immediately after having snacks. Of course, I stayed away from the scary ride. Everybody knows I'm acrophobic.

Apparently, not everyone's a scardy cat like me.

During one of the zipline rides, this one dude actually proposed to his girlfriend! And she said yes! Awww. True love!

(Of course, my adventure doesn't end there. I did travel several more hours to UPLB and had more awesome time. But that is another story.)

I've only got one problem about our Tagaytay trip: one day isn't enough to see and enjoy the entire thing! Bitin!

So when are we going back? :D

Photo credits: Yzak Vargas Photography