Health

We don’t have a great record of dealing with HIV & AIDS in our country. There are many organisations doing wonderful work, and our government is slowly responding with more programmes and support, but frightening numbers of us are still contracting this disease, and many of us living with the disease are struggling and dying, leaving more and more orphaned children.

There are many areas for taking action in: prevention, treatment, caring for ourselves and others affected by the disease, helping orphans and vulnerable children, and mobilising for government to improve its services.

And the challenges of HIV & AIDS offer all of us opportunities to:

• Discuss our sexuality and relationships more openly
• Reflect on how we do and don’t respect ourselves and take care of our health
• Look at how we discriminate against those different from us
• Consider how we disconnect from our fear and other difficult feelings about HIV

IDEAS FOR ACTION (from www.forgood.co.za)

• In South Africa, even if you are not infected with HIV, you will still be affected by the disease. Challenge yourself (and those around you) to REALLY learn about the disease so that you can protect yourselves and find out more how you can care and support others.
• Get information on HIV/AIDS from organisations like Soul City and share it with people in your community. Look at Good Resources for Soul City’s details.
• Make a personal decision not to be prejudiced against people who are HIV-positive. Talk openly about HIV and AIDS, and be aware of when you may stereotype people with the disease.
• Talk to the children you care for about sex. Many people find this difficult, but if you don’t teach them, they will learn from their friends or from the media. This will give them wrong ideas and will put them at risk of getting pregnant or getting HIV.
• Get tested. Even if you are confident that you are not HIV-positive, be tested in solidarity with those who don’t know or are HIV-positive.
• If you are scared to get tested, find a trustworthy friend to support you – it is a courageous decision, and once you know your HIV status, you can take action to support yourself if you’re positive or to make sure you don’t get the disease if you’re negative. Getting tested respects your love for yourself and your beloveds.
• Talk to your local clinic about organising a testing day at your workplace or place of worship (or a group you belong to), and encourage EVERYBODY to get tested. This will get people talking about HIV and spread more understanding of the disease.
• You and your partner should use condoms until you have both have had an HIV test.
• Be faithful to your partner and only have one partner at one time. If you or your partner are sleeping with someone else at the same time, you are more likely to get HIV.
• AIDS cannot be cured, but people can lead a long healthy life if they are put on treatment when they need it. If you are HIV-positive, you have a right to treatment. Ask your health carer about treatment.
• People on treatment need to take it the same time every day for life. If you know someone on treatment, you can help support them to remember to take it.
• If you are HIV-positive, find at least one person you trust to tell. Having someone to talk to about your fears helps a lot and they can support you if you need treatment.
• Take care of your health, whether or not you are HIV-positive. It is a basic way of loving yourself. Begin by:
  • Eating more fresh fruits and vegetables each day
  • Eating less sugary and artificial foods
  • Exercising three times a week for 30 minutes each time
  • Drinking more clean water (and less alcohol!)
• Volunteer to support, or help raise funds for organisations which are supporting orphans and vulnerable children.
• People and families who are affected by HIV/AIDS need to eat well. See what you can do to help them. This may include organising food parcels or planting a vegetable garden.
• People who have HIV/AIDS may get sick. They will often need to be cared for at home. Find ways to care for them either by visiting them yourself or by supporting organisations that do home-based care.
• There are many children in South Africa who have lost one or both parents to AIDS. These children need love and support. Find out how you can help. This may be by spending time with them or supporting organisations who care for them.