In view of
the disproportionate and devastating impact of HIV and AIDS on the
urban community, Bebashi leads the way with information and education
about HIV and AIDS and other sexually transmitted infections (STI’s).
The stigmas
associated with HIV and AIDS immobilized the usual community response
to a terrible epidemic. Behaviors that contribute to the spread
of HIV also cause the transmission of other sexually transmitted
infections and unplanned pregnancies.
As the region's
primary resource, specifically targeting the urban community, Bebashi
community education program includes a full range of topics on sexual
health issues, including sexually transmitted infections, HIV and
AIDS, and human sexuality.
We believe
that education is the best weapon for prevention through formal
presentations in a variety of community settings and at informal
discussions in home settings. Our education component includes programs
that are specially designed to address the specific concerns of
at-risk populations: women, adolescents, substance abusers, and
men who have sex with men (MSM's).
Our prevention specialists
are responsible for HIV, STI and pregnancy testing and counseling;
staffing health fairs and providing both group and individual educational
sessions.
HIV (Human
Immunodeficiency Virus) is transmitted through bodily fluids such
as blood, semen, breast milk, and vaginal fluid, most often through
unprotected sex or sharing dirty syringes if you use injection drugs.
Having safer sex is very important, so that you can avoid sexually
transmitted infections (STI's) which greatly increase the risk of
HIV transmission. If both you and your partner are HIV positive,
safer sex can help you to avoid re-infection with another HIV strain.
Tips
For Safer Sex
Kissing,
hugging, and mutual masterbation (ejaculate only on unbroken skin)
are safer.
For vaginal
or anal sex, use a latex or female condom with a spermicide and
a water based lubricant such as K-Y jelly. Oil based lubricants,
like Vaseline, weaken condoms.
During sex,
men should pull out and avoid ejaculation inside their partner,
even when using a condom. If you do ejaculate (cum) inside your
partner, hold the condom during withdrawal to keep semen from
spilling.
If a condom
breaks during sex, immediately replace it with a new one.
Avoid oral
sex if you or your partner have open cuts or sores in your mouth
or genitals.
Avoid sexual
relations during active STI infections, such as Herpes outbreaks.
During oral
sex, avoid taking semen in your mouth and avoid menstrual blood.
When performing oral sex on a woman, consider using a dental dam
(a square of latex sold in drug stores) or a condom cut in half
and stretched over the vulva.
Consider
using a flavored condom when performing oral sex on a man.
Oral-anal
contact, or "rimming", is a high risk for parasites
and hepatitis. Use a dental dam or condom cut in half.
Always use
a new condom with sex toys. Toys should be cleaned with soap and
water before and after every use.
Other
Ways To Reduce Your Risk
If you
use injection drugs, don't share needles.
Use a fresh,
disposable syringe each time and watch for needles that have been
rebated to look new.
Avoid use
of alcohol or drugs that affect your judgment in a sexual situation.
Consider
counseling or a support group to help you stay safe.
Prevention
of HIV Infection
Through oral, anal, or vaginal sex
The safest
type of sex is no sex. With virtually every other method there is
an element of risk. However, there are several strategies to lower
the risk of HIV infection, as well as other consequences, including
pregnancy and infections with other sexually transmitted diseases.
These strategies are often referred to as practicing safer sex.
However, some methods that may prevent pregnancy, such as the pill
or the diaphram, are not effective in preventing HIV infection.
Therefore, whenever you have sex, use a condom or "dental dam"
(a square of latex recommended for use during oral-genital and oral-anal
sex). When used properly and consistently, condoms are very effective.
There are two types of condoms that are effective in preventing
HIV infection: latex (male) condoms, and the female condom. The
female condom is also referred to as the internal condom because
of its use in anal intercourse. It is made of durable polyurethane.
Lambskinned products, often used in male condoms, provide little
protection against HIV.
Do not use oil or petroleum type lubricants, such as vaseline or
skin lotion, because they hurt the effectiveness of latex condoms.
Use water based lubricants with latex condoms. If one has an allergy
to latex, use polyurethane condoms, even with oil-based lubricants.
Needles
and syringes If
you are injecting drugs or medication of any type, including steroids
or insulin, do not share syringes or other injection equipment with
anyone else. Used needles and syringes can be cleaned with bleach
to reduce the risk of HIV transmission. Be sure to see a qualified
professional for any piercings or tatoos, and ask to see how the
equipment is sterilized.
Other prevention
methods Other
than male and female condoms, there are no other effective, widely
used devices to prevent HIV infection. Spermicides have not been
approved as an agent against HIV. However, there is considerable
research going on to develop topical creams or gels called "microbicides",
which can be applied on the genitalia that would theoretically kill
HIV on contact.
HIV
Testing
Testing for HIV is a crucial first step in effective prevention.
It is estimated that as many as one third (1/3) of the people who
are infected with HIV may not know it because they have never been
tested. There are four primary methods of HIV testing utilized today:
blood, home-based kits, ORASURE, and rapid testing. Most HIV tests
attempt to detect the presence of antibodies, immune system cells
that your body produces to to fight HIV after exposure. Blood, home,
and ORASURE tests are able to detect HIV infection within four weeks
of initial exposure, however, it can sometimes take as long as three
to six months for antibodies to reach detectable levels. Consequently,
the Centers for Disease Control (CDC) recommends testing up to six
months after the last possible exposure to HIV. Drawing blood is
the most common method of testing. It involves drawing a vial of
blood with a sterile syringe, which is labeled and sent to a lab
for testing. With home tests, such as the "Home Access"
brand kit, you are asked to prick your skin to get a small blood
sample that is sent in a previously supplied envelope to be tested.
For those who are afraid of needles, ORASURE is an oral testing
method that is considered almost as effective as blood drawing.
A small swab is placed between the cheek and gum for two minutes,
drawing a sample of mucousal fluid, a type of bodily fluid that
has been shown to carry HIV if the person is infected. Rapid HIV
testing is primarily conducted in hospitals and medical clinics
and not yet widely available. However, clinical trials have found
the new tests to be comparable in effectiveness to traditional blood
and ORASURE tests. Moreover, results can be made available in three
(3) to fifteen (15) minutes.
Though less readily available, there is also a viral load test that
can reveal the presence of HIV in the blood within 3 to 5 days of
exposure. These tests are normally used to track the course of HIV
infection in individuals who already know that they are HIV+.
There are three
possible results that one might receive from an HIV test: positive,
negative, or indeterminate. A positive result maeans that you have
been infected with HIV. If you test positive for the first time,
it is recommended that you get another test using a new sample.
A negative result means that the lab found no HIV antibodies in
your specimen. It does not mean that you have not been infected.
However, if you had no risk factors for HIV (such as contact with
blood, semen or vaginal secretions from a person who may be infected)
within the last six months, then you probably are negative. If you
have, then you should be tested again up to six months from the
exposure. The third result is "indeterminate". An indeterminate
result can be interpreted as either positive or negative result.
Therefore you should repeat testing with a new sample.
Private physicians,
at local health department facilities, or in hospitals test most
people. However, many states have funded community-based organizations,
like BEBASHI, that provide testing in non-traditional settings.
In addition, many states offer anonymous HIV testing. It is important
to seek testing at a place that also provides counseling about HIV
and AIDS. Counselors can answer questions about high-risk behavior
and suggest ways you can protect yourself and others in the future.
They can also help you understand the meaning of the test results
and refer you to local AIDS-related resources.
HIV/AIDS
Myths
AIDS is
a "Gay" disease.
Even though AIDS seemed to disproportionately affect gay men in
the earliest stage of the epidemic in the United States, over 80%
of the people around the world living with HIV, the virus that causes
AIDS, were infected through heterosexual contact.
Only certain people get AIDS.
Anyone who places themselves at risk of contracting HIV through
unprotected sex, sharing a dirty needle, or contact with infected
bodily fluids, can become infected with HIV.
There is a cure for AIDS.
Sadly, despite the claims of various researchers, there is no cure
for HIV.
Magic Johnson
has been cured of HIV.
Magic Johnson nor his wife have ever said that he was cured. What
he has said, is that his viral load is at an undetectable level,
and that he does not have AIDS. He does acknowledge still being
infected with HIV.
AIDS was developed by the government to exterminate a certain group
of people.
There is no evidence to support this conspiracy theory. However,
there is growing evidence to support that HIV may be a mutated version
of a simian (or monkey) HIV called SIV that jumped to humans. There
is evidence of other animal diseases infecting human beings. One
of the most infamous was the "Spanish Flu Epidemic of 1918"
that was the result of an avian influenza (bird flu) that killed
over 20 million people.
You can tell by looking at a person if s/he has HIV/AIDS.
You cannot tell by looking at someone whether he or she is infected
with HIV or has AIDS. An infected person can appear completely healthy.
But anyone infected with HIV can infect other people, even if no
symptoms are present.
HIV is nothing to worry about anymore because the medications will
prevent you from getting sick.
While significant progress has been made in medical treatment for
people with HIV, it is far from a given that it will keep everyone
who is HIV+ healthy immediately. The medications do not work for
everyone. Others cannot tolerate the side effects. Moreover, because
of the way that HIV mutates, over time the medications may stop
working.
You can get infected from taking an HIV test.
HIV testing is safe. Disposable needles or kits are used for testing.
You can't
get infected through oral sex.
While there have not been many cases of HIV transmission through
oral sex, it has been documented.
FAQ's
Can you tell whether someone else has HIV or AIDS? You
cannot tell by looking at someone whether he or she is infected
with HIV or has AIDS. An infected person can appear completely healthy.
But anyone infected with HIV can infect other people, even if no
symptoms are present.
How can
I know whether I'm HIV-infected?
Immediately after infection, some people may develop mild, temporary
flu-like symptoms or persistent swollen glands. Even if you look
and feel healthy, you may be infected. The only way to know your
HIV status for sure is to be tested for HIV antibodies proteins
the body produces in an effort to fight off infection. This usually
requires a blood sample (oral testing is often available). If a
person's blood has HIV antibodies, that means the person is infected.
Should
I get tested?
If you think you might have been exposed to HIV, you should get
tested as soon as possible. It's always advisable to take a test
if you don't know your status. Here's why:
Even in
the early stages of infection, you can take concrete steps to
protect your long-term health. Many physicians still recommend
a "hit early and hit hard" approach to anti-HIV therapy.
But even
if you don't begin taking medications right away, regular check-ups
with a doctor who has experience with HIV/AIDS will enable you
(and your family members or loved ones) to make the best decisions
about how and when to begin treatment, without waiting until you
get sick.
Taking an
active approach to managing HIV may give you many more years of
healthy life than you would otherwise have.
If you are
HIV-positive, you will be able to take the precautions necessary
to protect others from becoming infected.
If you are
HIV-positive and pregnant, you can take medications and other
precautions to significantly reduce the risk of infecting your
infant, including refraining from breast-feeding.
How quickly
do people infected with HIV develop AIDS?
In some people, the T-cell decline and opportunistic infections
that signal AIDS develop soon after initial infection with HIV.
Most people remain asymptomatic for 5 to 10 years, and a few for
much longer. As with most diseases, early medical care can help
prolong a person's life.
Notice: This
document is meant to be a working tool and is not intended to
replace a physician's, pharmacist's, or dietician's advice. The
authors make no representations or warranties of any kind concerning
the information provided in this website and shall not be held
liable for any representation or warranty of any kind, whether
expressed or implied.
GET
TESTED!
HIV
and STI TESTING HOURS
Monday,
Tuesday and Friday (WALK-INS)
FROM 9:00AM TO 4:00PM
(Late Hours) Thursday evening- from 4:00PM-7:00PM
&
RAPID
HIV TESTING HOURS
Wednesday
and Thursday (by appointment only)
From 9:00AM to 4:00PM
**Please
note, there are no results given on Fridays, and there is no rapid
testing on Fridays!
. Staff professionals
are not only at Bebashi but also at offsite locations such as shelters
and community centers. All testing services are anonymous and confidential.
Those seeking testing receive counseling before and after results
are made known. Counseling helps the individual to understand how
infections are transmitted, testing procedures, implications of
a positive diagnosis, and how the individual can reduce their risk
of future infections. Bebashi offers blood and OraSure testing for
HIV.
