HIV

Human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) is a lentivirus (a member of the retrovirus family) that can lead to acquired immunodeficiency syndrome (AIDS), a condition in humans in which the immune system begins to fail, leading to life-threatening opportunistic infections. Previous names for the virus include human T-lymphotropic virus-III (HTLV-III), lymphadenopathy-associated virus (LAV), and AIDS-associated retrovirus (ARV).

Infection with HIV occurs by the transfer of blood, semen, vaginal fluid, pre-ejaculate, or breast milk. Within these bodily fluids, HIV is present as both free virus particles and virus within infected immune cells. The four major routes of transmission are unprotected sexual intercourse, contaminated needles, breast milk, and transmission from an infected mother to her baby at birth. Screening of blood products for HIV has largely eliminated transmission through blood transfusions or infected blood products in the developed world.
HIV infection in humans is now pandemic. As of January 2006, the Joint United Nations Programme on HIV/AIDS (UNAIDS) and the World Health Organization (WHO) estimate that AIDS has killed more than 25 million people since it was first recognized on December 1, 1981, making it one of the most destructive pandemics in recorded history. It is estimated that about 0.6 percent of the world's population is infected with HIV. In 2005 alone, AIDS claimed an estimated 2.4–3.3 million lives, of which more than 570,000 were children. A third of these deaths are occurring in sub-Saharan Africa, retarding economic growth and increasing poverty. According to current estimates, HIV is set to infect 90 million people in Africa, resulting in a minimum estimate of 18 million orphans. Antiretroviral treatment reduces both the mortality and the morbidity of HIV infection, but routine access to antiretroviral medication is not available in all countries.

HIV primarily infects vital cells in the human immune system such as helper T cells (specifically CD4+ T cells), macrophages and dendrite cells. HIV infection leads to low levels of CD4+ T cells through three main mechanisms: firstly, direct viral killing of infected cells; secondly, increased rates of apoptosis in infected cells; and thirdly, killing of infected CD4+ T cells by CD8 cytotoxic lymphocytes that recognize infected cells. When CD4+ T cell numbers decline below a critical level, cell-mediated immunity is lost, and the body becomes progressively more susceptible to opportunistic infections.

Eventually most HIV-infected individuals develop AIDS (Acquired Immunodeficiency Syndrome). These individuals mostly die from opportunistic infections or malignancies associated with the progressive failure of the immune system. Without treatment, about 9 out of every 10 persons with HIV will progress to AIDS after 10-15 years. Many progresses much sooner. Treatment with anti-retroviral increases the life expectancy of people infected with HIV. Even after HIV has progressed to diagnosable AIDS, the average survival time with antiretroviral therapy (as of 2005) is estimated to be more than 5 years. Without antiretroviral therapy, death normally occurs within a year. It is hoped that current and future treatments may allow HIV-infected individuals to achieve a life expectancy approaching that of the general public.

TREATMENT
Human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) is a lentivirus (a member of the retrovirus family) that can lead to acquired immunodeficiency syndrome (AIDS), a condition in humans in which the immune system begins to fail, leading to life-threatening opportunistic infections. Previous names for the virus include human T-lymphotropic virus-III (HTLV-III), lymphadenopathy-associated virus (LAV), and AIDS-associated retrovirus (ARV).

Infection with HIV occurs by the transfer of blood, semen, vaginal fluid, pre-ejaculate, or breast milk. Within these bodily fluids, HIV is present as both free virus particles and virus within infected immune cells. The four major routes of transmission are unprotected sexual intercourse, contaminated needles, breast milk, and transmission from an infected mother to her baby at birth. Screening of blood products for HIV has largely eliminated transmission through blood transfusions or infected blood products in the developed world.

HIV infection in humans is now pandemic. As of January 2006, the Joint United Nations Programme on HIV/AIDS (UNAIDS) and the World Health Organization (WHO) estimate that AIDS has killed more than 25 million people since it was first recognized on December 1, 1981, making it one of the most destructive pandemics in recorded history. It is estimated that about 0.6 percent of the world's population is infected with HIV. In 2005 alone, AIDS claimed an estimated 2.4–3.3 million lives, of which more than 570,000 were children. A third of these deaths are occurring in sub-Saharan Africa, retarding economic growth and increasing poverty. According to current estimates, HIV is set to infect 90 million people in Africa, resulting in a minimum estimate of 18 million orphans. Antiretroviral treatment reduces both the mortality and the morbidity of HIV infection, but routine access to antiretroviral medication is not available in all countries.
HIV primarily infects vital cells in the human immune system such as helper T cells (specifically CD4+ T cells), macrophages and dendrite cells. HIV infection leads to low levels of CD4+ T cells through three main mechanisms: firstly, direct viral killing of infected cells; secondly, increased rates of apoptosis in infected cells; and thirdly, killing of infected CD4+ T cells by CD8 cytotoxic lymphocytes that recognize infected cells. When CD4+ T cell numbers decline below a critical level, cell-mediated immunity is lost, and the body becomes progressively more susceptible to opportunistic infections.
Eventually most HIV-infected individuals develop AIDS (Acquired Immunodeficiency Syndrome). These individuals mostly die from opportunistic infections or malignancies associated with the progressive failure of the immune system. Without treatment, about 9 out of every 10 persons with HIV will progress to AIDS after 10-15 years. Many progress much sooner. Treatment with anti-retroviral increases the life expectancy of people infected with HIV. Even after HIV has progressed to diagnosable AIDS, the average survival time with antiretroviral therapy (as of 2005) is estimated to be more than 5 years. Without antiretroviral therapy, death normally occurs within a year. It is hoped that current and future treatments may allow HIV-infected individuals to achieve a life expectancy approaching that of the general public.


MODES OF TRANSMISSION

• Sexual route. The majority of HIV infections are acquired through unprotected sexual relations. Sexual transmission can occur when infected sexual secretions of one partner come into contact with the genital, oral, or rectal mucous membranes of another.

• Blood or blood product route. This transmission route can account for infections in intravenous drug users, hemophiliacs and recipients of blood transfusions (though most transfusions are checked for HIV in the developed world) and blood products. It is also of concern for persons receiving medical care in regions where there is prevalent substandard hygiene in the use of injection equipment, such as the reuse of needles in Third World countries. HIV can also be spread through the sharing of needles. Health care workers such as nurses, laboratory workers, and doctors have also been infected, although this occurs more rarely. People who give and receive tattoos, piercings, and scarification procedures can also be at risk of infection.

• Mother-to-child transmission (MTCT). The transmission of the virus from the mother to the child can occur in utero during pregnancy and intrapartum at childbirth. In the absence of treatment, the transmission rate between the mother and child is around 25 percent.[18] However, where combination antiretroviral drug treatment and Cesarian section are available, this risk can be reduced to as low as one percent.[18] Breast feeding also presents a risk of infection for the baby.
HIV-2 is transmitted much less frequently by the MTCT and sexual route than HIV-1.
HIV has been found at low concentrations in the saliva, tears and urine of infected individuals, but there are no recorded cases of infection by these secretions and the potential risk of transmission is negligible. The use of physical barriers such as the latex condom is widely advocated to reduce the sexual transmission of HIV. Spermicide, when used alone or with vaginal contraceptives like a diaphragm, actually increases the male to female transmission rate due to inflammation of the vagina; it should not be considered a barrier to infection.
Multiple Infections
Unlike some other viruses, infection with HIV does not provide immunity against additional infections, particularly in the case of more genetically distant viruses. Both inter- and intra-clade multiple infections have been reported, and even associated with more rapid disease progression. Multiple infections are divided into two categories depending on the timing of the acquisition of the second strain. Coinfection refers to two strains that appear to have been acquired at the same time (or too close to distinguish). Reinfection (or superinfection) is infection with a second strain at a measurable time after the first. Both forms of dual infection have been reported for HIV in both acute and chronic infection around the world.
Male Circumcision in Preventing Transmission
A meta-analysis of 27 observational studies conducted prior to 1999 in sub-Saharan Africa indicated that male circumcision reduces the risk of HIV infection. However, a subsequent review indicated that the correlation between circumcision and HIV in these observational studies may have been due to confounding factors. Later trials, in which uncircumcised men were randomly assigned to be medically circumcised in sterile conditions and given counseling and other men were not circumcised, have been conducted in South Africa, Kenya and Uganda showing reductions in HIV transmission for heterosexual sex of 60 percent, 53 percent, and 51 percent respectively. As a result, a panel of experts convened by WHO and the UNAIDS Secretariat has "recommended that male circumcision now be recognized as an additional important intervention to reduce the risk of heterosexually acquired HIV infection in men. Research is clarifying whether there is a historical relationship between rates of male circumcision and rates of HIV in differing social and cultural contexts. Some South African medical experts have expressed concern that the repeated use of unsterilized blades in the ritual (not medical) circumcision of adolescent boys may be spreading HIV.

Pagpag

A documentary about poverty was shown to us, to be specific, one of the method that our fellow countrymen find their way to surpass hunger in spite of poverty. It tackles the food that our unfortunate fellow Filipinos, generally the poor and the people that depends on garbage for livelihood, find food and to surpass hunger by scavenging on fast food chains and restaurants' garbage and sort the trash to be sold in junk shops and the left-over foods which they exclude the part that is still edible and cook it again, to their belief that bacterias would be killed and the food will just likely be newly cooked. This delicacy I'm talking about is what they call, PAGPAG




When Filipino kids refuse to finish their food, all parents have the same dialogue “Many people in the world are hungry.”
Some smart-ass kids have made a response to that, saying “Those hungry people will not get full whether I finish my food or not.”
Well, that’s not entirely true.
If you are a documentary lover, probably you have heard about the Philippine delicacy, pagpag–food, particularly meat, scavenged from the trash bins of restaurants and other food establishments and then re-cooked to become an entirely new dish.
Sometimes, in small carenderias (eateries) pagpag is also sold in the form of our favorite local dishes adobo, afritada, and caldereta at a much cheaper price than ordinary viands.

What surprised me is that the practice of eating pagpag is not at all new. A certain Adelina Carballo of Tondo, 55,who tends a small store, admitted that she has been eating ‘pagpag’ for 12 years now.
A documentary presented by GMA-7’s Emergency emphasized the dangers of eating food from garbage, which contains bacteria that can not be killed in the cooking process, such as salmonella.However, the poor people who proudly eat pagpag could not care less about bacteria, because these left-overs are better than what they usually had to eat in the past.

Sa Mga Mata ni Ekang

This was another documentary by Kara David from GMA News and Public Affairs which showcases another story of poverty in the image of a family of a 3-year old girl named Ekang whose guardian or the people around her that should serve as an inspiration and supervise her could leave a bad mark or could affect her own vision of what life is about and lead her into wrong direction in life.


"Sa Mga Mata ni Ekang", which literally means 'In The eyes of Ekang' tackles a story about Ekang and the environment where she is growing, on how the people around her could basically affect her. With a mother that is an ex-prostitute and now lives as a drug pusher and rent their house to those who wanted a place to have their sessions on. A father, which works as a pedicab driver in the morning, and by night works as a hold-upper. A grandma, who is also an ex-prostitute back in her days and now serves as a pimp for another batch of prostitutes, and an uncle who is only 15 years of age, yet already a drinker and a smoker, and is always out with his peers.



I really can't blame anyone for what they have become, because each of them have their own stories on how they became what they are today. Her grandma that is an ex-prostitute which have dont have any knowledge on other jobs and being used to be as one, makes her self productive and tries to earn money by being a pimp. While Ekang's father who works in the day as a pedicab driver, wanting to provide more for his family, ventures into night and hoping to get money from his hold-up victims. Her mother, also wanting to help in the expenses of the family, expresses her own part by drug pushing and lending the house to the drug users for an extra income. Her uncle, with the young age of 15 though studying, spends most of his time with peers going out and drinking, and also learned how to smoke. Not able to stand anymore what he's experiencing at home, he wishes to forget it with the help of his peers.


Imagine what Ekang would be when she grow up with these kind of people surrounding her and influencing her mentally. Personally, this could be resolved but totally complicated, isolating and excluding Ekang from her family might lead to somehow good future for her but it would also be hard missing the love that her family is always be willing to give to her. Still, nothing is impossible when it comes to Him, And there is the power of choice in all of us, I'd say that as long as you dont hurt anybody and with devotion and trust to God, together with hardwork we will succeed. Imagine if all the children in this generation are all similar to Ekang, what will happen then in our society. We should start by now, in our ownselves and try to raise and love our own children so that they will grow as individuals with good morals, values and choice.

Buto't Balat

It was another day in our Sociology class when we watched another documentary film by Kara David titled "Buto't Balat". Aside from the literal meaning of the word and having a background or knowledge of what the title means back when I was in elementary when some of my friends used to bully and tease each other, I know what will my eyes be feasting on.


It was a documentary which showcases different stories yet tackles a common problem of the lower class in our society, malnutrition. Each of them shows different cases on how poverty became the main cause of malnutrition and leads into death. The first clip was about a girl who became bed ridden due to improper intake of food and meals, Her mother told that the budget that they are earning is enough only to buy rice, coffee and sugar but nothing more. Because of the low and insufficient income of the family that lead to malnutrition, it caused the girl and two of her sibling's death. While another scene featured a story about an infant that due to poverty is having coffee instead of milk. And another one is about a 14 year-old boy that also have a problem regarding improper food intake and consumption which resulted to severe malnutrition, this 14 year-old boy weighs the same as a normal 2 year-old baby.

Based on my observation and point of view, the one that suffers and always have their problem pouring through is our poor fellow men. Due to unemployment, poverty occurs, when poverty comes to play, improper food consumption takes place in the family and could lead to malnutrition and several complications due to unhealthy body which might then be the cause of death because of no proper medication. I could say that the reason behind this chain of poverty roots to education. Simply because after finishing studies, you're qualified to have a good job and will be able to have the basic necessities in life. I believe that there is nothing impossible with the guidance and help from God, determination and hard work. You have the power to be what you want to be, No one can even push you to do what you don't like. After watching it, I felt overwhelmed and thankful that I'm not even experiencing sickness and ailments, instead all i need to do is to study and finish my school. I think that the government should focus first on education and to the poor, I should say that proper distribution of the goods and services that are meant for all of us, Employment, so that everyone could have a proper income to support the needs. In this way, everything will follow and we could attain progress.