Skip to main content

Worlds Aid Day 2018 Self Test

Founded in 1988, World AIDS Day is on the 1st December every year. 

It gives people around the world the opportunity to unite in the fight against HIV. 
Through community events and in private we gather to show support for people currently living with HIV, while commemorating those no longer with us having lost the fight to an AIDS-related illness. 


An estimated 36.7 million people globally are affected by the virus. 

In the 34 years since the virus was first identified more than 35 million people have died of HIV or AIDS, making it one of the most destructive pandemics in history.
 The theme this year is "Know your status" So I thought I should know my own. 

I ordered a test online from here, there was just a few questions and it was on its way to me. 
When it arrived I questioned why was I even doing this...
I've always been careful with my sexual partners

Don't forget there could be up to 8,000 people walking around in the UK unaware they have the virus because they thought how I did.
 However with identification of status it can lead to a more favourable prognosis.

  So I did the test    
   It was negative. 
I was not one of the 101,000 people in the UK living with HIV.
This Year around 5,000 people will get a positive result.

What if that result had been different?
Did you know once someone has been on effective HIV medication (antiretroviral) for around 6 months, it can reduce the amount of the virus in the blood to undetectable levels. 

This means the levels of HIV are so low that the virus cannot be passed on. 

Over 90% of people diagnosed with HIV in the UK are on continuous effective treatment and undetectable.


People who are diagnosed with HIV are protected under the 2010 Equality Act
There's no legal obligation to tell your employer you have HIV, unless you have a frontline job in the armed forces or work in a healthcare role where you perform invasive procedures.
You are protected against direct, perceptive and associative discrimination in Law.
If your treatment for HIV is affecting your ability to work for instance then proactive disclosure can facilitate an employer to be supportive and consider flexible working. 
Your employer has a duty to ensure that staff are aware that harassment and unwanted behaviour is not tolerated within your workplace.


Know Your Rights

Know your status 

I do

Labels:

Comments

Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

Sssssssshhhhhh Listen to the silence....

Can you hear that? Well neither can I, isn't it brilliant. During my supervision today I spoke about how 2 of my clients had individually unintentionally, encouraged me to internally philosophise about the beauty of silence and how it has its place in the therapy room. As an only child I grew up not saying very much to people, I spent my time programming rudimentary computers and thinking while being really shy and introverted. Now however I still have children living at home, 1 of whom is still very young so its not too quiet at home anymore! I still like my own company, time to reflect and bounce ideas around on the inside of my head, I make the most of any time I have to do it. It also reminded me that I had recently watched a television series where famous people are given therapy. I do not however watch it anymore for the 'celebrity' contained within but the therapist. Anytime I can observe another therapist work, I do as for me its a lovely way to see the ...
Post a Comment
Read more

L.G.B.T.Q.N.B

What is it with all the letters?! It can be a minefield with all the acronyms and it doesn't look like its gonna get simpler anytime soon.  So lets begin when we had the gay pride movement (it was only legalised in 1967) although people have always been gay but they just did it in secret or got prosecuted for it. Google Alan Turing.  This was to promote equal rights for all genders and sexualities (some would argue we are no where near to that even today).  Lesbian, women (whether genetic or not) who are attracted exclusively to other women (whether genetic or not). Gay used to mean happy and I like to think it still does, being out and proud should be a gay persons right.  Transgender    including people whose gender identity is the opposite of their assigned sex (trans men and trans women) People have always cross dressed, this isn't the same as transgender...confusing eh. Queer had been reclaimed by the community just like othe...
Post a Comment
Read more

Stop Press The Dr has a Vagina

I'm a bit of a geek, quite a bit of a geek if truth be known. So there I was this afternoon, cooking a roast all while having one ear on the television waiting for what looked like the forgone conclusion of Federer winning to finish. I passed the time talking to fellow geeks and throwing various names into the hat for position of the new Dr. It seemed like an age before they had finished making small talk with who is arguably the best male tennis player ever. And then Sue Baker said the words that made my ears prick up. "Dr Who" The trailer started and I of course recorded it onto my sky+ box for posterity. Ok, so its someone in a hoodie...........can't really tell from the hands, I thought the nails looked slightly male shaped but then the camera flashed up to eyelashes coated in a lick of mascara and the unmistakable face of a female. OMFG its finally a woman. I watched more than once, amazing I thought and well overdue. Then I remembered an hour ...
Post a Comment
Read more