HIV & AIDS Discrimination and Stigma

AIDS-related stigma and discrimination refers to prejudice, negative attitudes, abuse and maltreatment directed at people living with HIV and AIDS. They can result in being shunned by family, peers and the wider community; poor treatment in healthcare and education settings; an erosion of rights; psychological damage; and can negatively affect the success of testing and treatment.

AIDS stigma and discrimination exist worldwide, although they manifest themselves differently across countries, communities, religious groups and individuals. They occur alongside other forms of stigma and discrimination, such as racism, homophobia or misogyny and can be directed towards those involved in what are considered socially unacceptable activities such as prostitution or drug use.

Stigma not only makes it more difficult for people trying to come to terms with HIV and manage their illness on a personal level, but it also interferes with attempts to fight the AIDS epidemic as a whole. On a national level, the stigma associated with HIV can deter governments from taking fast, effective action against the epidemic, whilst on a personal level it can make individuals reluctant to access HIV testing, treatment and care.

...more

Article copied from Avert.Org Website with thanks
 

AIDS PICTURES
(All pictures are from National Geographic website)

Thai soldiers learn about AIDS by grim example as they view a victim's body at a hospice run by a Buddhist monastery. Every 24 hours 8,000 people die of AIDS.

Vitaly Melnikov, a 29-year-old Russian heroin addict, shoots up in a Moscow apartment. He learned to use clean needles in a Doctors Without Borders risk-reduction program aimed at lowering the numbers of people passing disease through dirty needles.

Prostitutes chat inside a brothel in Cambodia. Sex workers are at high risk of contracting HIV and AIDS—unprotected sex is the primary method of spreading the disease. Cambodia's AIDS epidemic is the worst in Southeast Asia, with about 4 percent of adults infected.

A gallery of falsely colored transmission electron micrograph images captures the presumed order of events when the HIV virus buds from the surface of a T-lymphocyte white blood cell. The virus particles attack T-lymphocytes, stealing their genetic machinery, thereby forcing them to produce more copies of the virus.

Two Ukrainian girls cradle candles lit for an AIDS awareness rally in Kiev. With more than 36 million people now infected with HIV, AIDS continues to claim lives—and to elude scientists trying to stop it.

In this issue:
• HIV & Aids Discrimination and Stigma
• AIDS Pictures
• Allergy & its Home Treatment
• Know Your Temperament

Allergy and its Home Treatment

The word 'allergy' means an altered or abnormal tissue reaction after exposure to an antigen (also called an 'allergen'). The allergic reaction occurs if the body tissues are sensitive to the allergen. The allergen may reach the tissues by direct contact with the skin or various mucous membranes of the organs or through the bloodstream after absorption. Almost any part of the body can be affected by allergies.

Allergic reactions are caused by a wide range of substances and conditions. These include pollens, dust, cosmetics, and animal hair; poisonous plants, serums, vaccines, and drugs; physical agents such as heat, cold and sunlight, as well as a variety of foods. The foods that commonly cause allergic reactions are oranges, milk, eggs, wheat, fish and other sea foods, chocolates, tomatoes, and strawberries.

Symptoms of Allergies

Recurring headaches, hay fever, Vomiting etc

Allergic symptoms are manifested in various forms in different organs. These include recurring headaches, migraines, dizziness, irritability, nervousness, depression, neuralgia, conjunctivitis, eczema, hay fever, a stuffy or runny nose, diarrhoea, vomiting, urticaria, asthma, shortness of breath, and swelling of the face and eyes. The same substance can cause different symptoms in different people at different times.

Causes of Allergies

Allergies Symptoms, Causes, Remedy and Diet

Dietetic errors and faulty living style

Allergy is an indication of disharmony caused by dietetic errors and a faulty style of living.

Refined, processed foods and stress

It is also caused by excessive consumption of refined and processed foods, loaded with numerous chemical additives, many of which cause powerful reactions. Emotional and psychological stress can also lead to allergies.

Allergies Home Remedies

Allergies treatment using Nutrients

Certain nutrients have been found beneficial in the prevention and treatment of allergies. Often the intake of vitamin B5 or pantothenic acid brings great relief to the sufferer. This vitamin may be taken in a dose of 100 mg daily for a month. In such cases, liberal amounts of pantothenic acid helps even though the recovery takes several weeks. A dose of 400 mg of vitamin E taken daily for four to six weeks is also beneficial as this vitamin possesses effective anti-allergic properties.

Allergies treatment using Castor Oil

It is found that five drops of castor oil in half a cup of any fruit or vegetable juice, or plain water, and taken on an empty stomach in the morning, is beneficial for allergies of the intestinal tract, skin, and nasal passages.

Allergies treatment using Lime

Lime is considered an effective remedy for any kind of allergy. Half a lime may be squeezed in a glass of lukewarm water and sweetened with a teaspoon of honey. It can be taken once daily first thing in the morning for several months. This remedy not only flushes the system of toxins but also acts as an antitoxic and antiallergic agent. However, those who are allergic to citrus fruits should not take recourse to this remedy.

Allergies treatment using Bananas

One or two bananas a day are useful for those who are allergic to certain foods and who consequently suffer from skin rashes, digestive disorders, or asthma, The fruit does, however, cause allergic reactions in certain sensitive persons and they should avoid it.

Allergies treatment using Vegetable Juices

A quantity of 500 ml carrot juice or a combination of carrot juice with beet and cucumber juices, has been found beneficial in the treatment of allergies. In the case of mixed juices, 100 ml each of beet and cucumber juices should be mixed with 300 ml of carrot juice to prepare 500 ml or half a litre of mixed juice. This should be taken once daily.

...more

Article copied from Home Remedies Website with thanks

Urinary tract infections, Kidney & bladder calculus, Burning micturition, Kidney dysfunction, Chronic renal failure

KNOW YOUR TEMPERAMENT